


So We Fell in Love

by OhMyPosh



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, F/F, FIx It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 22:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4154805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhMyPosh/pseuds/OhMyPosh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Picking up after Myka and Helena's goodbye in S04E15, Helena returns to suburbia until it becomes evident her life is in danger. She must once again depend on the team to come to her rescue or sacrifice herself once more. Myka struggles with her feelings and is forced to come to terms with what is destined to be. I do not own these characters. Title comes from a response from Joanne Kelly at the San Diego Comic-Con about her and Jaime's thoughts on H.G. & Myka's relationship. Long story short... so they fell in love. Reworked piece that was originally published on ff.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Carry On

Myka leaned back into the car as the power window rolled up beside of her. Slowly she lifts a hand to her shoulder to soak up the last bit of warmth she could find from the embrace before the cold reality stole it from her. She wanted Helena to be happy; she knew deep down that she had always longed for the family she had once lost. Myka could never forget what Helena faced when Christina's life had been taken from her body or sand-longing in Helena’s eyes as she reached for the locket around her neck. Helena wanted a family and now Nate was offering her his entire world. It was a perfect match, a woman longing for her child and a single father searching for someone to love his daughter like her mother would have. Myka knew it made sense; she had come to terms with Helena's search for happiness and truly meant it when she had told Helena to fight for him, that she was meant to care for someone and that this should be her home. After all, Myka could think of no one who deserved or needed a happy ending more than Helena G. Wells.

For a moment she thought to look back, she could imagine Helena standing there alone in the driveway of Nate's home wrapping her arms around herself. Myka inhaled sharply at the thought of seeing her fair features once more, her dark hair framing her thin face and sharp jaw. As the SUV took a left turn out of the sight of the suburban house, Myka knew her chance had passed. The muscles in her stomached tightened; she had saved herself from seeing Helena standing there as Nate came gather her into their home. She didn’t have to witness the way he slipped his strong arm around her dainty waist or the way Helena would smile at him in return. She imagined Helena snuggling into his broad chest after the taillights had disappeared and would allow herself to be lead back into the house and to the little girl that waited inside.

No, Myka wouldn't have to see Helena stand there with everything she had ever wanted as she sat there loosing the one person who knew her better than anyone else. Instead, she looked to Pete who had been uncharacteristically silent as he drove out of the neighborhood and onto a country road. His eyes were concerned but he stared straight ahead as if uncertain as what to say or do. Myka let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, sank back into the comfort of the passenger seat, and wiped at the tears that had collected on her cheeks. She leaned her head against the window and looked out at the vast amount of fields that now surrounded them. The lightning bugs were slowing growing in number and could be seen dancing between the stalks of wheat.

She remembered her parents taking night drives through the country when she was younger. Myka would rest her head against the window frame of the car and listen to the crickets chirp. As if Pete had known what she was thinking, the windows of the SUV rolled down and the cool breeze blew through Myka's wild curls and onto her cheeks drying the trails of tears. At first it was cold and pained Myka's face but she soon lost herself in the crickets’ song. She use to pretend to know what the crickets were saying to one another, some nights they would be singing, others they would be reciting love poems, but tonight, Myka thought to herself, they were just as sad as she was.

Pete had left the windows down most of the trip until they had reached the interstate; the wind had become too strong and Myka's hair was whipping about the car in hysterical protest. Pete looked over at Myka and reluctantly rolled the windows up sealing the two back into a bubble of intense silence. Noticing Pete's discomfort Myka leaned forward and turned on the radio. It was the least she could do seeing as how she hadn't made a single effort to acknowledge Pete since they left the driveway. As her finger left the button, Kansas came blaring through the speakers and Pete began drumming along on the steering wheel. It didn’t take long before he was screaming along with the chorus of Carry On My Wayward Son; Myka stifled a laugh as she noticed the veins in Pete's neck strain against his vocal chords.

_"Carry on my wayward on, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest. Don't you cry no more…"_

The music fade into the background as Myka's eyelids became heavy and she laid her head against the cool window as the vibrations of the rotating tires lull her to sleep.

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They arrived at the B&B early the next morning, the drive to the airport consisted of Pete whispering the lyrics to the songs on the radio as Myka slept against the car door. The plane ride wasn't much different. Myka was silent going through security and stared out the plane window with a look of defeat painted across her usually furrowed brow. Her head tilted towards the plane window and once again Pete was left alone with not knowing what to do. The car ride back to the inn was seemingly normal, Pete was rambling about what he would want for breakfast and even took a moment to remember Lena and the amazing breakfast spreads she prepared for the team.

"As if she wasn't easy enough on the eyes, she sure was easy for the stomach. You know Mykes?" Pete asked as he had come to an end reminiscing about Lena’s scones.

Myka smiled at Pete's simple desires and agreed, "Yeah, they were pretty good if you didn't eat them all first. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Abigail isn't Lena, you may just have to learn how to cereal and milk yourself” she said with a smirk.

Pete smiled in response. Myka was slowly but surely coming back.

Abigail, Claudia, and Jinks were already sitting at the dinning room table when the pair walked in. Artie had been working late cataloging artifacts for the past couple of weeks and had become prone to showing up after breakfast had been devoured. Pete headed straight to the kitchen when he spotted Claudia' scones.

"How'd it go with HG?! What's she doing in Wisconsin? Is she coming back to rejoin the team?" Claudia asked excitedly.

"Good to see you too, Claudia... it was a good ol’ snag and bag” Myka offered working almost too hard to sound casual.

“Helena is seeing a man named Nate. He has a daughter about Christina’s age and she is…. happy there” Myka forced herself to finish the sentence. Maybe if she said it enough times, she would actually accept it.

Claudia raised her eyebrows in response at Myka’s hesitance. She could smell a story.

Noticing her reaction Myka added, "I think it's great to know that a normal life it still possible. After all she's been through, she deserves to have be happy."

Jinks was too busy finishing off his orange juice and guarding his last scone from Pete to hear Myka's less than truthful reply. Pete had managed to sneak one of the baked goods off of his plate and was now dodging around the table, stuffing as much of the pastry into his mouth as possible.

Seeing her opportunity Myka made her way towards the stairs, "Well I'm going to take a shower and I'll see you guys later…"

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Back in Wisconsin, the sun was beginning to break through the shades, a stream of light found its way on Helena's eyelids and she was forced out of her slumber and into the new day. Sliding out from under Nate's arm, Helena tiptoed to the end of the bed where her silk robe and slippers were waiting for her. It had grown habitual that she would get up before Nate and Adelaide to enjoy a cup of tea and the new paper before the day “officially” began.

Last night's conversation had taken a long time to explain and at this point, Helena wasn't entirely certain Nate understood it at all. How could she blame him though, it's not everyday you find out your girlfriend is the 147 year old father of science fiction. Luckily, the exposure to an actual artifact had made Nate more susceptible to nontraditional ways of thinking. After Myka and Pete had left, Helena had taken a deep breath and walked back into the house expecting an argument to ensue. Instead, Nate was calmly sitting on the couch waiting for her return.

"Nate…" Helena began, not sure how to start.

"Emily… Helena?" Nate looked at her curiously.

"Yes darling, my name is Helena. Helena George Wells." She replied, her voice a tad more shaky than she would prefer.

"….H.G. Wells…. the science fiction author?" Nate tried to put the pieces together, his face still managed to contort in what appeared to be disbelief.

"Yes Nate, H. G. Wells. Mother, Author, Inventor, and Warehouse Agent."

Nate looked at her blankly. This was not going to be easy, she knew that. Helena spun into a rant filling in Nate on everything that had happened, how she lost Christina, when she was brought to the warehouse, how she was bronzed, when she was unbronzed, how she became a part of warehouse 13, and Myka but none of Helena's words seemed to do it all justice.

Nate's eyes were fixed on the coffee table before him and he waited for a moment before interrupting. It was all becoming too much at once.

"Stop, Helena. Just stop." Nate looked confused and hurt. Helena braced herself.

"Do you love Adelaide?"

"Yes, most dearly. I love her as if she were my own." Helena replied, reaching out for Nate's hands and holding them tightly. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.

"And you would protect her from everything and anything you could, yes?”

"I would never let anything happen to Adelaide, Nate. You must believe me. I called Pete and Myka so that I could stay out of it. I'm done with that part of my life." Helena squeezed his hands tightly as she began to regret making the call in the first place.

Her mind spiraled into a world of possibilities that would have kept Adelaide out of danger's way.

Seeing her eyes searching for answers, Nate asked, "Do you love me?".

"Nate darling, how could I not love you? You are a solid, honest, kind, and wonderful man. You have welcomed me into your home and into your life. I need this, I need you and Adelaide." Helena replied as tears fell onto her cheeks. Nate wiped the tear tracks them away as he pulled the small brunette into his arms.

That night Helena fell asleep tucked into Nate’s chest holding him tightly as if he would escape if her grasp dared loosen.

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Helena turned on the kettle and quietly opened the front door to collect the daily news. As she stood a large yawn escaped her, the night had been long but it had also been beneficial. The pair decided that drudging up the past was not the key to their future together. Anything he needed to know, he would learn in time. All that mattered to Nate was that the feelings they shared all along were real. Helena had created a game for herself whilst reading the paper, she would read through the international news to find articles headlines that matched a warehouses curiosity or two. She most enjoyed the reporter’s work to explain the odd phenomena. 

_Ignorance is bliss._ Helena thought to herself as she laughed.

Truth be told, she was already beginning to miss the adventures before the most recent event. She was almost pleased to be able to hear Myka's voice on the other end of the line. She hadn't wanted to bring the warehouse back into her life but bringing parts of it wouldn't cause too much harm, she assured herself at the time.

Helena's mind drifted from the paper to her last encounter with the agents. Myka was different, distant. Her demeanor was much more stiff and uncertain than in the past; her tone was quizzical and sounded almost hurt when she found out that Helena had not contacted the warehouse by choice. The fallen face of Myka Bering was burned in her mind, she hadn't meant to hurt her.

Just then the kettle began its harsh, loud squeal and Helena was jolted from the memories. The petite brunette sprung from her seat at the table and lunged to hush its squealing, hoping not to wake Adelaide nor Nate for a bit longer. She fixed her cup of tea and once again took her place in front of the large bay window in the kitchen. 

_This feels right,_ Helena thought,  _a roof over my head, a cup of tea in my hand, a darling girl who loves me, and a man that I adore._

Helena sighed with relief and picked up her paper and began her reading. Not long after, small footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and Helena's heart warmed at the sight of the groggy little girl in her nightgown. Adelaide's hair was matted to one side of her head and one of her socks had gone missing but Helena thought she was the most darling sight.

Greeting the little girl half way across the kitchen, Helena kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I believe your father is still being visited by the sandman, how about we go and interrupt?" Helena said with a wink.

She and Adelaide quickly ran into the master bedroom and onto the large king size bed, waking Nate and starting a large tickle fight for all. 

_This, this is home,_ Helena thought as the three slumped back into the bed exhausted from their valiant efforts.

For the first time in nearly a decade, she felt like she belonged.


	2. Read You Like a Book

Nearly two months had passed in the Bed and Breakfast, Artie had managed to find a record number of pings and had the team flying across the world day and night. So far the team had recovered John F. Kennedy's tie pin, Betty Ross' sewing needle, Marlon Brando's spats, Elvis' suede shoes, Pee Wee Herman's bow tie, Walt Disney's pencil, and Judy Garland's ruby slippers and those were just the American ones.

Claudia and Jinks were enjoying the sight seeing between pings and were already searching for new artifacts on their plane rides home. It never seemed to get old for Claudia, Jinks on the other hand could have done without the musical number needed to reclaim the ruby slippers or the design seminar that he had attended disguised as a popular Italian designer in order to bag the sewing needle. Somehow, Claudia always managed to take Jinksy back to his roots. A trip s was promised when Jinks won a, winning meant that he could pick his partner for the next ping. A prize he would use carefully.

Looking across the breakfast table, Pete's mouth was crammed full of bagel and jelly was squirting out of the sides as he attempted to solve the crossword search on the back of the cereal box. Claudia was taking apart her Farnsworth for the second time that morning in hopes that she could program it with GPS capabilities. Artie was flipping the pages of a thick book that appeared to have been collecting dust for as long as the warehouse had existed. And Myka, well Myka was sipping her coffee and reading a tattered novel called the “”Shape of Things to Come. Jinks couldn’t help notice in small letters beneath the title the name of the author …"H.G. Wells".

"I choose Myka."

The others looked up in confusion, "I didn't think she was your type there Jinksy. I mean if it was going to be anybody I at least thought I had the best chance being the only other guy on the team." Pete was clearly a little upset.

Artie coughed loudly making his presence known, "Ok other than Artie but I mean, come on! Look at me!", Pete began flexing his biceps and posed like a Greek statue with jelly still oozing from the corners of his mouth.

"Calm down there Casanova, Jinksy and I made a bet and I lost. He's not choosing a life partner just a "ping partner"," Claudia would have to use this against him later in life.

Separate from the hustle and bustle of the conversation, Myka set down her book and kindly asked, "Ok, what's going on? And Pete for god sake put your shirt back down and wipe your face! No one wants to see that."

"But Mykes! I'm totally the better looki…"

"PETE!" Myka yelled, stopping his whining.

"Myka, I'd like you to be my partner on the next snag and bag. I think I deserve a break from these two after what I've seen this week!" Jinks stated as he eyed Myka's book.

Noticing the direction of his glare, Myka slid her hand over the cover and replied, "I believe that can be arranged, Pete, Claudia, don't kill each other while we're gone."

"Well now that that’s settled, pack your bags you're headed out I just got a pin in London for an artifact I've been trying to get my hands on for nearly 20 years now. That queen is a tricky lady than they give her credit for!"

Jinks and Myka looked at each other, down at the book, and then back at each other, "Great."Myka replied.

_That was a lie,_ Jinks thought.

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Things had been going swimmingly with Nate and Adelaide. Nate had cleared out his wife's old gardening shed for Helena to use as a workshop for her inventions and writing. Helena had found a rhythm, morning tea, breakfast with Adelaide and Nate before heading to work in the lab, picking up Adelaide from her Kenpo lessons, and back home in time for Nate to cook them dinner.

Helena liked Nate, he didn't expect her to be overly docile or fragile as many men had in the past. Nate respected her independence and appreciated having a "team mate" of his own. Although Nate didn't understand half of what Helena was working on in the shed, he was always happy to listen and nod at the necessary times.

"We ARE a team, Adelaide." Helena replied at dinner when the young girl was going on about having a "spy team" of her own.

"Yes we are." Nate replied with a smile, reaching over to take Helena's hand in his own.

"A team I'd like to make even closer…", Nate whispered to Helena making her to interrupt him before Adelaide could catch on. Her lessons on deductive reasoning had been a double-edge sword.

"Adelaide, darling, why don't you show your father what you learned in today's lesson?" Helena suggest as a smile crept across her lips.

"Very funny. I know what you're doing, Helena." Nate replied as he was dragged from the dinner table and out the French doors.

"Simply encouraging father-daughter learning opportunities!", Helena yelled after them.

Nate had been very honeset with Helena that he wished to marry again. He had been so clear as to state that he wished to marry Helena one day. Helena on the contrary was not as "gung ho" about the idea. She did not need a ring and a ceremony to love Nate, she already did. She would do anything to keep Nate and Adelaide safe, a wedding wouldn't change that. The two had been together for nearly eight months now and Helena wasn't in any sort of a rush especially since there was a child involved.

Helena went about cleaning the dishes as she watched Adelaide ruthlessly take Nate down for the fourth or fifth time. Adelaide was a quick learner and had picked up the art just ask quick as Helena had when she were younger. Adelaide and Christina would have been close friends, Helena was sure of it. A shot of guilt rang through Helena's body at the thought; she couldn't help but wish that Christina were here to be apart of this new family.

Just then the doors opened and in hobbled a rather beaten down Nate and his glowing daughter, bubbling with pride at her ability to take down a full grown man.

"You owe me, Helena." Nate whispered in her ear as he headed to the bedroom to shower.

"I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about, my love." Helena called after him as she gave a wink and a sly high-five to Adelaide.

"Now off to bed with you, darling, quick shower beforehand and don't forget to brush your teeth. There are children in London who wish to have teeth as nice as yours!" Helena called after the child as she climbed the stairs.

Helena rung her hands out in the sink and took a deep breath before walking to the bedroom, she knew what tonight's conversation would be about and she wasn't entirely prepared to turn Nate down once again.

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Jinks and Myka had already boarded the plane to London, Myka allowed for Jinks to take the window seat as she had taken this trip before and didn't care to be reminded of it. Instead, Myka dug a book out of her bag and began reading.

"Interesting book you have there, doing a bit of research on the artifact?" Jinks questioned teasingly. Myka was still reading the same book as this morning and she knew fully well why Jinks found this to be so amusing.

"Why yes actually, H.G. Wells, uhh… Helena lived in London; much of what she wrote was based off of her knowledge and experiences as a warehouse agent. I'm certain that there is a key about the queen's jewels.

_Lie, truth, and lie,_ Jinks thought.

He had been much more aware of Myka's actions since she had returned from Wisconsin. As the others just shrugged off Myka's unusual silence and even greater determined work ethic Jinks knew there was more to the puzzle. He had seen this all before, better yet, he lived it.

"There's no shame in missing her…", Jinks whispered to Myka as the flight attendants prepared the plane for take off.

"I wish it felt that way" Myka responded as she closed the book in her lap and traced the edges of its jacket.

She thought she had been flying under the radar. They had bagged more artifacts in the past couple of months than she could count but Myka couldn't help the sinking feeling that filled her body once the artifact had been reclaimed and nothing was left to keep her mind off Helena.

She thought to call for that cup of coffee they had joked about but every time her fingers grazed the buttons, she froze. What could she say to the woman who wanted a life a way from the warehouse, away from her? She decided to respect Helena's wishes, at least that's what she told herself as she tucked the phone back into her pocket.

The plane landed with only a few bumps, the two found their bags and to pick up the rental car.

"There's got to be some kind of mistake" Jinks said as he held the keys to the small black mini cooper "I'm picking up a car for Bering and Jinks not Barnum and Bailey".

Myka grabbed the keys and opened up the back hatch to throw in their bags.

"Didn't know you could be such a diva" Myka jested at Jinks, "maybe Claude was right about letting out your inner queen…"

Jinks rolled his eyes and slumped into the passenger seat. Myka could tease him all she wanted, he had plenty to hold over her head when the time came it.

Myka navigated the narrow roads with ease, the small car seemed to mold to her body and a smile spread across her face as she pressed the gas pedal down further.

Noticing her drastic change in mood, Jinks smiled "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've strayed the London way a time of two before!".

Myka laughed and with a large grin she said, "You have no idea".

The small black car took a large sweeping turn across two lanes of traffic and drifted across a gravel parking lot in front of an old boarding house. Putting the car in park, Myka had an air about her she had long forgotten.

Confidence, it was flowing through her veins like a drug and she quickly made her way up the stairs to the front entrance of the house. Jinks wasn't sure what just happened but, whatever it was, he knew that this trip just became very interesting.

Noticing Myka's annoyed face, Jinks scrambled out of the car and joined her on the porch.

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"Helena I know you aren't fond of the idea but I look at the life my parents shared and I don't see an ownership. I see two people who loved each other so much that they refused the let the world ever part them. They made a declaration to their loved ones and to their country that they would stand together through any storm. Marriage doesn't have to be a ball and chain, it can be a tether so that when you fall you know the other person will always be there to catch you." Nate argued, as Helena couldn't help but smile at the man's earnest and honest attempt at persuasion.

"I'd much rather have a grappling hook than a tether." Helena retorted remembering how the other agents had poked fun at the contraption's age; the very same contraption that had saved Myka's life when she was about to become road kill.

"I'll be your grappling hook then" Nate replied, "you can pull me out of your holster and rely on me whenever you need me. Just let me be apart of your arsenal."

Helena appreciated Nate's even if she knew he wasn't entirely certain he was conveying the desired message.

"Darling, I love you dearly and would do most anything to see you happy but, this… this…" Helena began not sure where she would take this "is this what you really want? Am I what you really want? Think about what you're signing yourself up for! Do you really want to wake up everyday married to the father of science fiction?!" Helena was hoping to spring some sense into Nate's mind.

"Well I'm not sure I'm entirely open to having a same sex wedding but, if that's what you feel most comfortable with Helena GEORGE Wells; I'd do whatever it takes to make this family official. I'll even call up my tailor and have a suit made for you if it strikes your fancy." Nate joked knowing that he was about to win this portion of the argument.

Helena was laughing and couldn't help but feel a soft spot in her heart for the man's plea.

"Could he make a holster for my grappling hook?" Helena replied as tears of joy filled her eyes"…can't be without my grappling hook!" She leaned in and kissed Nate softly on his scruffy chin.

Just then Adelaide walked in, "You're sitting close and your arms are holding each other, your eyes are watery and neither of you have spoken for the last couple of minutes. Either something bad has happened and you're consoling each other or… no you're not sad. You are…" Adelaide wasn't sure what to make of the scene; her deductive reasoning lessons didn't cover ambiguous public displays of affection in the middle of the day.

"Happy" Helena finished the girl's sentence, "Sometimes tears do not imply sadness but occasionally they mean joy. Sweet girl, come sit with us."

"Your father and I have been talking and after much of his absurd reasoning, I believe he's just won his first and last debate with me."

Adelaide face conveyed confusion but Nate's lit up as he realized what she was saying.

"Helena you don't mean…" Nate's arm fell slack and his jaw seemed to drop in the middle of his sentence. Noticing his inability to complete the thought, Helena pulled away from Nate's embrace and looked at him squarely.

"Yes Nate, I will marry you."

Adelaide squealed as she pounced on the pair now tightly embracing each other.

"We're going to be a family!" Adelaide yelled as she burrowed her way between the two. "We've always been a family," Nate replied "but now no storm, earth, wind, or fire will ever separate us."


	3. The Greatest Minds

Myka had met with the owner of the boarding school that the queen had once attended as a child. This visit led them on a treasure hunt throughout the city of London for the next couple of days. Jinks held his tongue from making too many National Treasure jokes but couldn't help but laugh when Myka had to invade Buckingham Palace.

Her time with Helena had left Myka with the ability to fake a decently believable English accent and Jinks couldn’t help but notice, "I see your time with Ms. Wells was beneficial in many ways, your highness." Jinks winked and touched a hand to his ear as he pretended to be Duchess Berings’ bodyguard.

The two managed to sneak past the palace security, find yet another treasure map, and on the track to find the culprit who was leaving members of the royal family encrusted in jewels. Myka and Jinks were hot on the trail of the artifact as Myka went running down a narrow alley in a full taffeta gown and heels after the suspect when it became very clear that he was not working alone. A small car came barreling down the alley at the two but the culprit only ran faster towards the vehicle. He then leapt behind a dumpster allowing the car to speed past him with full access to the agent on his tail.

 _Convenient,_ Myka thought as she realized that the same opportunity would not be afforded to as the car sped past then dumpster.

Jinks had managed to find his way to the roof of the building for a bird’s eye view. Realizing that his partner was about the be the victom of a head-on collision, Jinks climbed out onto a connecting structure between two of the buildings and aimed his gun at the front tires of the speeding automobile.

Two shots were fired, each reaching their desired targets but the momentum of the car was still carrying the vehicle toward Myka with great speed. Any effort to slow or even stop the car were now futile, he would be forced to watch the bloody taffeta mess that would soon come to be. Jinks closed his eyes bracing for the sound of the hood of car combining with Myka's gowned body but it never came.

Instead, the sound of a gunshot rang through the alley followed by a whirring sound. The connecting structure shook and there was a clanking sound not far from where Jinks' was bracing for the sound of the impact.

Jinks' head shot up and his eyes struggled to focus on a hook wrapping around the structure.

 _What the hell?!,_ Jinks thought as the hook found it place and another whirring sound began.

He glanced down into the alley and found a gasping Myka Bering, ball gown and all, quickly approaching him.

"A grappling hook?!" Jinks yelled as Myka shot up toward him.

"Borrowed it from a friend. I laughed once too and now look at me. " Myka laughed as she climbed up and onto the structure.

"Where were you even keeping that thing?!" Myka's questionable facial expression made Jinks realize that he didn't care to know the answer.

"A friend, huh? What kind of people just carry a grappling hook around with them" Jinks knowingly questioned, he hadn’t heard her say Helena’s name is quite some time.

Myka made her way to a neighboring rooftop with a impressive leap of faith and answered, "The greatest minds you'll ever know."

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Nate had taken Helena to a jewelry store the next day to pick out a modest diamond with a filigree band. Helena hadn’t wanted anything too gaudy that would interfere with her tinkering. With Helena’s slender fingers, the ring had to be sized and picked up at a later date.

"Nate it's really not that big of a deal, I don't see why I can't just wear this.", Helena called as she pulled at her vest.

"I just want to show off my brilliant, beautiful, and did I mention incredibly brilliant... fiancé." Nate combatted as he buttoned up his shirt and began looking for a tie to match.

"I'm not convinced it's my brains you're wanting to show off, darling." Helena replied with a raised eyebrow.

Now that she was away from the warehouse, Helena was able to purchase less sensible articles of clothing that would never have lasted a day in the field. Her fingers skimmed across the hangers until she came across something new. Helena pulled the white lace dress from its hanger for better inspection.

Sneaking up behind her, "Do you like it?" Nate asked as he wrapped his arms around the slim brunette's waist, "I picked it out just for you."

Helena looked the dress over once more, it wasn't really her style; lace was such an impractical textile and it reminded her of the dolls' gowns that Christina would play with. She turned to face Nate hoping to let him down easy but the pride in his eyes kept her saying anything at all.

It was a sweet gesture and he didn't mean any harm by it, "It's beautiful. Simply charming." She replied.

It wasn't a complete lie.

Nate and Helena walked into the busy jewelry store where other couples blocked the counters. Helena began looking for someone to assist them when a man on the other side of the store noticed them and quickly approached the couple, "How can I be of service, Madame?"

"We are just here to pick up a ring, the order to have it sized was place last week. I believe you’ll find it under ‘Wells’ " Helena replied her voice becoming louder as she fought to hear herself speak in the crowded store.

“Actually, it’s under Gossett. Nate Gossett.” Nate corrected her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ah yes, I know just the one", the clerk disappeared into the backroom leaving the two waiting in the middle of all the hustle in bustle. Helena was clearly tense; her arms were wrapped around body and was less than pleased at the thought of having to use Nate’s name to pick up HER ring.

_Helena George Gossett. No, that won’t do._

_Helena George Gossett-Wells. Hm. No, no._

_Helena George Wells-Gossett. Better, but still too long._

_Helena George Wells… just wells. Yes. Now that’s a proper name._

Nate wrapped an arm around her waist hoping to comfort her uneasy form, "You didn't happen to bring your grappling hook with you?" Nate jokingly whispered wrenching Helena from her identity crisis.

She laughed and replied, "Unfortunately not. Shall I go retrieve it?" Helena jested. She could use a quick escape from this place.

"Not necessary, I'll just have to do." Nate said as he took Helena's hand and led her to find the clerk in the backroom.

It was quiet and dark, a much needed relief from the busy store front but the clerk was nowhere to be found. Helena was on high alert something was not right. A set of curtains blocked a doorway to the their right and Helena could hear hushed tones just beyond them.

"Perhaps he's back here…"Nate trailed off as he led Helena through the curtains.

"SURPRISE!" a room full people yelled in unison.

"I knew you'd say no, but you deserve to be celebrated." Nate noted as he got down on one knew and slipped a glittering ring onto her finger. One much larger than what they had agreed on.

There was clapping and photos being taken before Helena could wrap her head around the entire scene. The sound of a champagne bottle being opened rang through the room, knocking Helena back into reality. Her hand was quickly filled with a glass and even sooner it was empty.

Nate began introducing Helena to his friends, family, and coworkers one by one. Each smiled at Helena complimented her ring and then complimented Nate on his equally great taste in women and jewelry. Helena stood silently politely smiling as they shared words. There were too many names for her to remember and Helena was rather disappointed that they would meet her on such… uncomfortable terms. The thought was beautiful but Helena couldn't help feeling as though she had been ambushed. Feeling rather awkward, Helena drained yet another champagne flute and began searching the crowd for a familiar face.

Her eyes skimmed the see of faces, many had begun conversations of their own and Helena was happy to see that she was no longer the center of attention. Helena set down her empty glass on a waiter's tray as he passed by, but not before she skillfully commandeered a third. A foreign clank came from the glass and Helena eyes were drawn to the diamond ring that had interfered with her efforts.

Noticing the sound, Nate leaned close to Helena's ear, "You'll have to get used to that, you know."

He squeezed her open hand and continued his conversation with a man Helena knew to be his boss. She lifted the champagne flute to her lips but stopped before the liquid could make its way to her mouth.

"Myka?" Helena said softly as her eyes focused in on untamed brunette curls.

"What's that darling?" Nate asked noticing his distracted fiancé.

"Nothing at all, sweetheart. I think I'll go have a chat with friend I've just spotted." Helena replied as she slipped her hand out of Nate's grasp and began her way across the room.

The moving groups of people made the act slightly more difficult than expected, at one point Myka had shifted out of sight and Helena had to search the room to find the unruly head of hair once again.

Finally finding her way behind the brunette, Helena searched for something to say, "Agent Bering, I thought we had agreed on coffee but I suppose champagne will…"

Before Helena could finish her address, the curly haired brunette spun on her heels and a round face and a pair of confused blue eyes greeted her.

"You must be Helaina" the woman replied.

"Helena, it's nice to meet your acquaintance Miss…" Helena stumbled trying to hide her disappointment.

"Judith. Judith Mills, I teach the advanced cooking classes, will I be seeing you and your fiancé there?" Helena searched her mind for the woman in her memories but came up short. Nate was really the only person she really took note of during the class, she had never been much of a cook but certainly appreciated its results.

"Of course, Judy I'm so sorry. So many new people and here I am forgetting old friends!"

Helena mustered up a laugh and drained her champagne flute once again.

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"There is no way you knew the guy was the prince. No way." Myka said doubtfully as she looked over at Jinks in the passenger seat of the mini cooper.

He was holding the silver bag containing the Queen's necklace with a smug look on his face, "I'd recognize that ass anywhere." Jinks jested.

Myka's jaw dropped and she stifled a laugh. She could see why Claudia gave him such a hard time.

Feeling the relief of a job well done she turned to face Jinks, "Any last minute stops you want to make before we head back?"

Jinks thought for a moment and then a smile spread across his face. "Just one" he said "but I get to drive."

Myka hesitantly took her place in the passenger seat and attempted to keep her cool as Jinks adjusted to driving on the other side of the road. After a bit of journey, the mini cooper pulled up in front of a grand Victorian home.

"Nope. Not doing it. Not going in there." Myka instantly protested.

She recognized the house from her first trip to London and would not be seen entering H.G. Wells' home today or ever again for that matter.

"I was right about the prince and now you have to do as I say." Jinks said mockingly. He had gotten rather good at these bets and wasn't too shy about reaping the reward.

"Seriously Steve, out of all the places you could have chosen you pick THIS house?!" Myka was starting to grow angry.

"Everyone else may think that you're ok but you're not Myka. I know it. Hello, human lie detector. You're hurting and you're doing it alone."

Myka didn't know what to say, she wasn't prepared to have this conversation with anyone. A long silence filled the car. Myka’s posture was tense and her breathing was labored. Her hand reached for the latch on the door and she stepped out into the cool London air.

Giving her some space seemed like a good idea. Jinks had pushed Myka and he wasn't exactly sure how she would handle it. He had lost sight of her once she climbed the stairs towards the house.  

After an hour or so, he heard a tour group depart from the house. Jinks had expected to see Myka trailing behind them but she was nowhere to be found. Thinking it was now or never, he stepped out of the car and headed towards the house. Jinks reached out and turned the doorknob but it did not yield to his effort. Confused, he noticed a sign on the door stating that the last tour ended at five. Checking his watch he Jinks confirmed that it was in fact 5:13pm and the house was officially locked down.

"I couldn't go in", a soft, defeated voice came from behind him. Myka had just emerged from the side of the house, her eyes red and her body wilted.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't…"her head dropped and her body began to shake.

Jinks looked at his partner, he simply ushered Myka to the sit on the steps of the old home. Myka leaned into her empathetic partner, needing someone to draw strength from.

"Do you want to talk abou…"

"Her perfume." Myka interrupted, "She was standing in the hallway holding a Tesla beneath Pete's chin and I could smell her perfume. It came at me and I couldn't escape it. I still can't." Her head fell into her hands.

"Myka, I don't think the smell of her perfume is still going to be in there." Jinks comforted her the best he knew how.

"I don't expect it to be, but that day. That day that she came barging in our lives, challenging what we knew about the world and about ourselves. That day changed everything." Myka began wiping away the tears that streaked down her face.

"You knew even back then, didn't you?" Jinks asked taking a chance."You felt something for her."

Myka sniffled and sat up straight on the step, "Yeah, well… it doesn't matter any more. She's happy. She has a family now." Myka said definitively, as she took in a deep breath."I'm done being sad, Jinks. It has done nothing for me. I try and avoid her and she's all I think of. I try and keep her with me but I can't. I just can't anymore. I've been holding onto her for too long."

With each word Myka's conviction grew in strength, "I'm done feeling like this, I'm done torturing myself wondering why she didn't come back. She deserves to be happy, whatever that means for her but so do I."

Jinks sat quietly nodding his head in agreement. Myka didn't need to hear him speak; she needed to hear herself.

"I needed to come back here to say goodbye. I needed to be thankful for what she did for me and I needed for this to end where it started."

Myka stood up slowly as Jinks looked at her and she nodded for him to go ahead back to the car. Slowly turning back towards the house Myka finally felt free.

"Goodbye, Helena."


	4. I'll Be Alright

The light filtered in through the shades like it had every day for the past nine months that she had lived there. Helena quietly slips out from under the heavy arm and wraps her robe around her. Turning on the kettle and retrieving the newspaper from the doorstep, Helena went through her morning.

Helena sat at the bay window watching the sunrise. A ray of sunlight hit her hand just right and a spectrum of light played across her face. Slipping the ring from her finger, Helena gazed into the beautiful stone. She had always seen diamonds as being such a complex stone, at first it appears to be reflecting light from a single spot but upon closer inspection, the diamond was reflecting off each of it's surfaces.

In a way, she understood it. She was happy but it was more complex than that. There were all these things happening beneath the surface that she wasn't sure how to explain or what to call them. She loved her new family but… she felt a longing she could not shake.

Ever since the day at the jewelry store, Helena had been thinking about picking up the phone and calling Myka for a cup of coffee, but there was always something to distract her from it; Adelaide would ask for a story or Nate would ask her about having friends over for dinner. Helena always found something to keep her from calling. She wondered what she would even say, how do you explain to the family you left behind how you are doing if you aren’t even sure? How do you tell them that you miss them but can't leave?

"HELENA!" Nate yelled over the screeching of the kettle, he quickly turned the burner off and removed the kettle from the stove.

Helena snapped out of her thoughts and jumped to her feet, "are you ok????"

Nate's hair was standing up and his clothes were disheveled. His face was filled with concern as Helena met his worried eyes.

"I..uh…I'm so sorry, darling. Just a little out of it, I suppose. A cup of tea and I'll be ship shape."

Helena stumbled across the words as she took the kettle and filled her cup. Nate's eyes remained on her as she fixed her cup of tea and took her place back at the window. He had noticed that his fiancé had become more distant as the days passed, her physical presence never changed but her mind seemed to wander more.

"Where were you just now?" Nate asked noticing Helena's eye beginning to glaze over once more.

"Myk…my team back at the warehouse" Helena quickly caught herself.

"You miss them, don't you? It's ok if you do. Why don't you take a weekend and go visit them. Share our exciting news with them." Nate said sportingly. “I didn’t know how to contact them or I would have invited them myself!”

"Oh that's not necessary" Helena quipped back "I'm just… in over my head with the wedding planning".

Helena wanted a small, intimate ceremony just the three of them at the courthouse but Nate wanted her to have the full experience.

Helena pondered the thought of seeing the team again, it had been all too long and she missed the bickering at the breakfast table each morning. Perhaps a trip would do her some good but not the trip Nate had in mind.

After Nate had left with Adelaide, Helena called into work and requested the day off. Seeing as how "Emily Lake" was actually weeks ahead of schedule, the lab had no issues with her absence. Helena walked out to her workshop and released the padlock from the door. Nate had installed the lock after Adelaide had wondered in the small shack and was found playing with one of Helena's metal grinders. Placing the lock in the pocket of her jacket, Helena began sorting through cardboard boxes that she had brought with her when she left the warehouse.

Her books, papers, and stable inventions were just as she had left them. At the opening of each box, the smell of the bed and breakfast came wafting out sending her on down memory lane. Running her fingers over the edges of her books, Helena noticed the dozens of folded pages in each of her books.

Myka often borrowed novels from her collection and would doggy ear parts of the book she had questions about. Helena could almost always expect Myka to wander in the room with one of her books and a curious smile.

"What do I have the pleasure of explaining today?" Helena would greet her.

They would spend hours discussing plot twists, character development, and perfect cliffhangers. Sometimes Myka would agree with Helena's interpretations but other times she stood in stark contrast. Myka always saw the good in the characters whereas Helena could only see humanity. On occasion their discussions would turn into debates leaving both the women breathless and exhausted. Each of the women were too stubborn to completely fold even when they did see merit in the other's argument.

Helena set the box of books aside and opened another. This one was filled with newspaper wrappings. She grabbed at the top mass and began unraveling a frame from its paper. It was a photo of Charles, his mustache being terribly pronounced as usual. She missed his smiling eyes; he would laugh to see her playing house in the middle of the United States. He had taken such good care of her and her daughter when they needed him. She sighed and traced the lines of his face wishing he could be here now. If anyone were going to give Helena away, Charles would jokingly throw her at the poor groom.

Helena set the photo aside with a laugh and began unwrapping the rest of the frames. She found a photo of Pete that he had given her as a joke for her birthday one year; he was shirtless and flexing on a beach. Helena pretended to be grateful for the gift but mostly admired it for capturing Pete's spirit perfectly. There were a few photos of her partners from Warehouse 12 in the box as well but the photograph that caught her attention the most was one of the team. Lena had been adamant that such a picture must be taken. Artie, Claudia, Jinks, Pete, Myka, and Helena were all standing in front of the breakfast table. Helena had attempted to step out of the photo, which only resorted in Myka pulling her back into frame.

Myka had wrapped her arm around Helena's small waist and pulled her close, "You're a part of this team now so deal with it." She said through her smiling teeth. Surprised, Helena smiled and turned to look at Myka as the bright flash blinded all but her. If physical proof of Helena’s affections existed, this was it.

Myka seemed to notice when Helena would start to drift away and she always found a way to pull her back in. It was embarrassing really; she would have destroyed the world had it not been for curly haired agent and her overly confident attitude. The memory of holding a gun to Myka's head as her finger grasped the trigger still made Helena sick to her stomach.

Searching for an escape from that doomsday, Helena began sorting through a box of clothing and knick-knacks she had stored away. Not finding much of significance she dug to the bottom of the box and pulled out a brown leather jacket.

"Ah, that's where you've been hiding" Helena said out loud as she pulled on the jacket. It was no secret that she had quite the collection of leather jackets but this one had gone missing during the move. Standing up, Helena tried to remember the last time she had worn the garment.

_It had to be… the day Artie diffused the bomb…_

Yet another time Helena had almost shot Myka, in her defense that was out of her control, quite literally.

It was also the day Myka had put Helena in her place.

"Get of your cross." Helena said aloud and laughed. “Not even here and still telling me what to do.”

That day turned everything around for them, Bering and Wells was back on track. After putting their lives in danger many times before, Helena knew she would go to any length to protect the team. Artie hadn’t explained much; the threat of uncertain evil was too great a threat. Helena had certainly earned his respect though by supposedly sacrificing herself for the team, a part of her wish she could remember what had happened.

A knock on the workshop door startled Helena and she cautiously peeked through the crack in the frame.

"Nate?" Helena asked, uncertain why he would be home so early. Throwing the jacket back into the boxes, Helena opened the door.

"I forgot to tell you that I would be working late tonight and Adelaide is spending the night with a friend so the house is all your this evening." He said as he leaned in and kissed Helena on the top of her head.

"Alright darling, do be good." Helena said with a smirk, "and let me know when to expect you, I'd hate for you to have a run-in with the handsome and impressionable pool boy."

"Nice try, Helena, we don't have a pool." Nate laughed as he walked around the house to his car; it was nice to see Helena more like herself.

Nate had been working longer shifts to save money for the wedding. Although Helena understood why he was working so hard, what she really valued was their time together. With Nate gone so often, Helena was able to spend more time with Adelaide. They had made quite the team. She and Adelaide would sit at the bay window with cups of tea reading through bridal magazines and wedding announcements.

Once Helena left work for the day she would pick up Adelaide from school, deposit her at the martial arts studio, and head home to start dinner for the two of them. Helena had been trying to expand her culinary skills and had sought out the recipes given to her in the cooking class. They would polish off the dishes and cuddle up on the couch watching the history channel before bed. Helena loved catching up on what she had missed and Adelaide found Helena's take on the events fascinating, she had been present for quite a few of them. This caused some issues in school for Adelaide as she was reluctant to write about events she knew were recorded incorrectly. Helena had once had to meet with one of her teachers to explain the issue away.

Often Adelaide would fall asleep across her lap, Helena would sit and enjoy the closeness they shared. Christina would do the very same thing when they lived with Charles. The little girl would ask her mother to read her a story and they would lie on the chaise lounge and explore forests with dangerous beasts, castles with beautiful princesses, and laboratories with mad scientists. Helena would pet the young girls hair and watch her chest rise and lower with each sweet breath.

 _There is nothing more precious than the innocence of a child_ , Helena thought as she ran her fingers through Adelaide's hair.

The girls would be spending the night at the zoo and would not return until the following day. As Helena helped Adelaide carry her sleeping bag and pillow past the zoo gates she realized that for the first time in a long while she would be all-alone. Adelaide had wanted to stay with Helena she didn’t want her to be lonely but Helena comforted the young girl saying that she was all grown up and could certainly spend a night by herself. With a kiss to Adelaide's forehead, Helena left.

The house seemed so much larger when it was empty. She decided that she would spend the evening indulging herself. She drew a bath and fished out a few candles from under the kitchen sink. Placing them around the tub and lighting them, Helena was actually quite excited to have a soak. After snatching a book from one of the shelves in the library, Helena settled herself into the hot water.

"Mmmmmmmmmm…" Helena breathed out a sigh of satisfaction.

She picked up the book from the floor and began flipping through the pages,  _It's vane to read the books one has written,_ Helena thought to herself,  _but not when there isn't a soul to witness it!_

She loved reading her old words, often she would stop to chuckle at her own wit.

"That's a good one there, old girl." Helena would speak aloud when an incredible plot twist would take place.

After awhile her arms grew tired and cold and she set the book aside, removed the towel from behind her neck and allowed herself to sink down into the still warm water. The sound of the water swooshed around her head and she quickly lost herself in the silence. Taking deep breaths, Helena could feel her entire body relax with ease.

Slowly Helena found herself being pulled from her nirvana by the painstakingly high-pitched screech of a smoke detector. Lunging forward out of the now lukewarm water, Helena was instantly faced with a small wall of fire licking that the edge of the tub. It appeared as though a towel had fallen down onto the candle and her copy of _The Time Machine_ was now roaring with flames.

 _Well I suppose I had that one coming,_ Helena thought as she took in the growing flames.

With a pout to her lip, Helena slashed an arm into the water creating a miniature tidal wave to stifle the fire. The burn marks on the bathtub would be hard to explain but besides having to replace the floor mat, that's all damage the small fire had done.

"Well I THOUGHT I'd be alright." Helena said to herself as she remembered Adelaide's offer.


	5. Trying

Myka had become notably more chipper after she and Jinks returned from London. The team happily welcomed the change and thought it best not to ask too many questions. Pete and Myka were back in routine searching for artifacts night and day.

While hunting down an artifact that turned its victims into tacky lawn ornaments, the pair were playing the part of a newly wed couple who just moved to the neighborhood. Pete quickly realized that this community was not what they had expected. At a barbecue celebrating the new couple, Pete kept having funny feelings. After downing a beer and a hotdog or two or three, Pete shook them away and joined the rest of the husbands at the grill.

"It sure is great to have your join our humble brotherhood" said Jack Galligan, the head of the neighborhood watch program.

"Well uh.. it sure is nice for you to welcome me and my little sweetheart with such a big party." Pete replied waving obnoxiously to Myka who had been swarmed by the wives sitting by the pool.

"You know Pete, the real party starts after sunset." Another neighbor replied.

"Ohhhhh you guys are night owls, let me guess poker game? Cock fights? FIGHT CLUB?" Pete became so excited he almost didn't hear when one of the husbands commenting on Myka's "fine figure".

"Yeah she's fine alright… I mean when she's not nagging about the lawn. Know what I mean gentlemen?" Pete jested.

"I'd let her take a ride on my mower." Jack replied lowering his sunglasses to take a better look at swim-suit clad Myka. 

"Uhhhhh… dude! I'm right here." Pete said playing the angry, jealous husband which wasn’t too hard to play at the moment.

"Listen here, son. This block is like… a village. We support each other; we trade for what the other needs. We share what we have. You get what I'm saying here?" Jack said as he laid a heavy hand on Pete's shoulder.

"Uhhhhhh yeahhhhhh, totalllly. I get it. I get it! You uhhhhhh… share." Pete said trying to play it cool but making awkward arm motions instead.

"You know if you men would excuse me, I'm just going to go have a word with the little miss and see if we can't come up with something to trade for your kind efforts." Pete said as he quickly left the circle of men and located Myka.

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"THEY ARE SWINGERS! Like…SWINGERS!!! They said they were like village and they share and..." Pete whispered loudly as he dragged Myka away from the group of women she had been sitting with.

"I know Pete." Myka interrupted before he went too far in detail.

"You… what?! You know?" Pete turned on his heels and faced Myka abruptly, "You mean you're not weirded out by the fact that they trade spouses with each other?" thinking about the opportunity this left him with Pete quickly added "Yeah, me neither. Totally normal. You know Mykes if we're really going to fit in here I think we'd better swing with the best of them. How about Missy and her husband they seem nice!"

Myka rolled her eyes and punched Pete in the shoulder, "Get your mind out the bikinis, Pete. And they don't just trade spouses…" Myka said smiling as she held up her arm covered in lipstick phone numbers.

"Oh…OH….MYKES! YOU NAUGHTY GIRL YOU!" Pete exclaimed putting two and two together.

"You know everyone else said that you and H.G. were just friends and to leave it alone but I totally thought there was something going on there! I knew! That totally explains things! No wonder we never hooked up!" Pete rambled on as Myka's eyes narrowed and she prepared for another punk to Pete's shoulder.

"Enough, Pete! You sound like an idiot. Now lets find the artifact before someone turns us into a pair of lawn gnomes." Myka said as she walked back toward wives sitting poolside who were waving her over.

It took nearly a week undercover to learn that Missy was blackmailing Tracy's husband Jeff into getting rid of the members of the zoning board so that they could build the gazebo that would partially cross onto community property. Myka had actually enjoyed herself on this mission. The wives had all taken a liking to the fit, brilliant, and independent agent. She would receive calls from the other housewives asking her to tutor their children only to have her arrive and the child in question to be them conveniently missing. Pete became jealous when he realized that Myka was getting all the action.

"So Mykes….you never did tell me how your 'tutoring' went." Pete said making his air quotes more dramatic than necessary. They were driving back to warehouse and Myka realized that she had nowhere to run.

"Pete, it was nothing. We mostly went over their chemistry homework." Myka said hoping to bore Pete.

"Oooooh chemistry, huh? Yeah I bet there was Chemistry alright." Pete said raising his hand for a high five.

"Pete really, the kids were actually pretty smart. I was even trying to convince Ms. Jameson to enroll her son in the advanced program next year." Myka could see the light at the end of this conversation.

"Jameson…Jameson…Jameson…" Pete mulled the name over in his mind but couldn't put a face to it.

"The single mother." Myka explained.

"Oh yeahhhhh the one across the street." Pete noted.

A long silence filled the car and Myka took a sigh of relief that they were done with the twenty questions. Myka closed her eyes and sunk back into the passenger seat. A little bit of shuteye on the drive back would be nice.

"She totally came onto me…Asked me to help her program the television IN HER BEDROOM. I mean… that’s like… you know?!" Pete bragged. 

Myka laughed and threw her arms over her face in exhaustion.

After a few moments of thinking Myka finally spoke up, "Pete, not every woman invites you into her home because she wants to have sex with you. Sometimes people actually want you to help them mount a big, heavy flat screen onto a wall."

"AH HA! I KNEW IT. YOU WERE IN HER BEDROOM!" Pete yelled with excitement.

"What?! No!" Myka shot up quickly, "You think everyone is sleeping with everyone else!"

A huge smile spread across Pete's face, "Mykes, I never said it was a flat screen."

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Nate continued to work later shifts regardless of Helena's protesting. Tonight he promised to be home in time for dinner. Helena was overjoyed that it wouldn't just be her and Adelaide at a dining table for four. She could see that the young girl missed her father's presence even though she wouldn't dare say anything to Helena. 

In his absence, Helena began to feel a longing growing inside her once more. She made attempts to satisfy her needs by visiting her boxes of old memories but they grew less helpful as time passed. If anything, they were making things more difficult. The boxes overflowed with memories both remorseful and celebratory. They would awaken feelings she had long forgotten in her new life. She adored the life she and Adelaide had made together but the feeling that something was missing could no longer go unnoticed. 

Nate used to come home from a long day at work, kiss Helena's forehead, and climb into bed as quietly as possible only to be greeted by a very enthusiastic fiancé. She would have Nate tell her all about his day and the meetings he had attended. The actual series of events did not exactly thrill her but his voice was warm and welcoming and would settle Helena into a safe and sleepy existence. More recently Helena took a book with her to bed would be found asleep holding it against her chest. 

On the weekends Nate would take the girls for an adventure; Adelaide would revel in her father's company. The two would go off on long hikes while Helena stayed behind and kept the ants from staging a takeover on their picnic. She loved to see them together smiling, laughing, and playing. 

Helena hoped that this evening's dinner might bring them back to their previous glory.

"Remember that your father will be joining us the evening so don't dilly dally afterwards." Helena called after Adelaide as she ran into the studio.

Helena ran to the grocery to pick up the ingredients she would need for the lasagna.

"Well I do believe there is a first time for everything", Helena said to herself as she looked at the kitchen counter covered by ingredients and a cooking instructions she had been given from her and Nate’s course. 

Managing to combine each item into the baking pan, Helena patted herself on the back and set the timer. She had a few minutes to change before collecting Adelaide and she planned to use each and everyone one of them. 

Choosing to wear a grey form-fitting silk dress and heels, Helena powdered her nose and checked on the lasagna. "Perfect, perfect, perfect." 

The house was already beginning to smell of delicious garlic and tomatoes and it still had another forty minutes to bake.

As she jumped into the car she dialed Nate's cellphone, "Hello darling…" Helena began "I just wanted to call and let you know that we are all set for these evening's meal! Everything alright on your front?" She couldn't hide her eagerness.

"All is well, I'm headed to pick up Adelaide as we speak!" Nate replied seeming distracted.

"Oh, I was just about to go fetch her but I suppose I'll stay settled then." Helena replied, this would give her an adequate amount of time to prepare the salad and uncork the wine.

Hanging up with phone, Helena found her way garage where they had built a large wine rack. Helena had told Nate that she did not need help but he had insisted nonetheless. Running her fingers along the dusty labels, Helena sought out the perfect bottle to accompany the meal. On the top of the wrack she found the bottle she and Nate purchased during their trip to Martha's Vineyard. Nate's sister watched Adelaide for the weekend while the two sought out some peace and quiet. They spent days walking through the vineyards and taking in each sunset, Helena wished she could go back there now. She slid the bottle from its place on the wrack and headed back into the kitchen.

As soon as her hand touched the door Helena could sense something was not right. She opened the door and was instantly assaulted by a wall of smoke. Grasping at the wall for the button to the garage door, Helena began to choke on the smoke as it filled every inch of clean air. Finding the button, the door began to open and Helena took a large deep breathe of air and ran into the house in search of the source. The smoke became darker and thicker as she made her way down the hall and into the kitchen. The oven door had flown open and large flames lapped over the stovetop and up to the ceiling.

Helena quickly kicked the oven door shut in hopes that it would suffocate the fire. The flames roared on inside the oven and threatened to send the door bursting open once more. Quickly she searched about the smoke-filled kitchen for an extinguisher; but began feeling rather light-headed from breathing in so much smoke. Noticing her cell phone still lying on the counter, Helena made a last stitch effort and lunged for the phone as a small explosion erupted from the oven sending flames up her reaching arm. The last thing Helena remembered was holding down a button on the phone hoping to reach Nate before he and Adelaide were faced with a similar doom.

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"…approximately five foot seven inches tall, one hundred and fifteen pounds, black hair, fair skin…" Helena could hear a man's voice over some sort of radio.

She strained her eyes to see who it was only to be greeted with bright flashing lights, sirens, and more radio noise. Helena reached a hand up to her face but it fell short of her mouth as something plastic blocked its path. 

She strained to sit up before the paramedic could notice her conscious state, "Ma'am please lie down, you've been in a fire. Was there anyone else in the house with you?" The man's voice was strong and urgent.

Helena opened her mouth to speak but was overwhelmed by a fit of coughing; instead she shook her head and waited for fresh air to fill her lungs once again.

Helena's eyes tried to focus on the scene their street was now lined with fire trucks and police cars and a barrier was being put up to block off the area from nosy neighbors. As she surveyed the street Helena saw Nate's car pull up behind the barrier and watched as the man leapt from the car, jumped over the police barrier, and yelled Helena's name. She reached a hand out to him as the police attempted to block his path.

"IT'S MY HOUSE! IT'S MY FIANCÉ! YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO TO HER!", Nate was yelling and his face was distraught.

The police stepped aside and allowed him to continue running to Helena's side.

"Helena! My god, Helena", Nate cried as he wrapped his arms around the frail woman.

"What happened?" Nate finally pulled out of the embrace to face the woman.

Helena raised an a hand to remove the oxygen mask from her face but Nate grabbed her wrist instead, "What happened to you, my god Helena. Your arm, it's been burnt." 

Looking down at her arm Helena dizzily found her skin to be badly disfigured, and a patch of her skin had clearly been ripped from her forearm.

"What happened to her?" Nate cried at the paramedic attending a chart.

"There appears to have been a fire, sir. A neighbor called it in when they noticed dark smoke coming from the garage. A volunteer firefighter found her unconscious on the kitchen floor. When he moved her, the fire had already badly burnt the tissue on her arm." the paramedic recalled anxiously.

"Jesus Helena, you could have died." Nate said grasping her head in his large hands making direct eye contact with her, "What were you thinking?"

Helena took a moment to answer him her head till foggy from the smoke and her lungs heavy, "I tried, I tried to fix it but I couldn't."

Helena gasped for air between each word her eyes filling with tears, "I … closed it off but… it didn't stop. I …I tried to stop it, Nate. I tried."

Tears now fell from Helena's eyes onto her smoke covered cheeks. His eyes moved rapidly from one eye to the next trying to understand what had happened when he realized that she wasn't just talking about the fire.

"I was trying to make it all perfect, I wanted you to have everything but… I couldn't stop it in time."

Nate sat down on the stretcher next to his sobbing fiancé. He knew this was it. This is what he had been avoiding for the last several weeks.

"Don't marry me, Nate. Please don't marry me." Helena finally found the words she had been unknowingly leading up to. She slipped the diamond ring from her finger and into his fallen hand.

"I tried Nate, I tried and I couldn't do enough." Her eyes searched for a response from the silent man.

Wrapping his fingers slowly around the small ring, Nate began to shake his head.

"You kept trying and I could see you struggling. It was in your eyes, it was in your smile… I had hoped it would pass. That you'd find your place with us like you had at first." Nate's voice was low and full of complicated emotion, "I shouldn't have let it go on for so long. I should have let you go sooner. Please don't marry me, Helena. You have to go. I’m so sorry."

Nate leaned in and kissed Helena on the forehead and then walked back to the car. Adelaide was pressed against the window on the passenger side, her eyes sad and longing.

Helena raised a frail hand to her lips and extended her arm out to the young girl as she was pushed back onto the stretcher and into the ambulance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm traveling quite a bit at the moment but will continue posting as much as possible. After the next week, chapters should be posted much quicker! Thank you all for the love and kudos!!!


	6. Follow Up

The team was sitting around the breakfast table arguing over who would be sent to Barcelona and who would be unlucky enough to stay behind and help Artie with cataloguing miscellaneous artifacts.

Pete had just finished his best impersonation of a bullfighter, waving a napkin in front of Jinks' face when Mrs. Frederick appeared behind him.

"As useful as I believe your napkin waving abilities to be, Agent Lattimer, your assistance is needed elsewhere."

Myka, Claudia, and Jinks all looked to Artie but he looked as surprised as they were.

"Mrs. Frederick, so nice to see you… so…. early in the morning." Myka fumbling to fill the silence that her sudden appearance had caused.

"And good morning to you too, Agent Bering. I think you'll find a particular interest in this case. I was contacted two days ago by former agent H.G. Wells, it appears as though someone has been interfering with her new civilian life. The regents had promised her protection in return for her service, we are assigning you and Agent Lattimer to get to the bottom of this." Mrs. Frederick's body language was stoic and cold which only made Myka’s heart pound harder against her chest.

"Of course, Mrs. Fredrick. What could be too horrible in suburbia?! Did someone tag her mailbox? Take her newspaper?" Pete jested.

"An attempt was made on her life and..." Mrs. Frederick continued to inform the agents but she was cut short.

"What?! Is she ok? What happened? Why didn't she call us?! She should have just called us!" Myka's heart felt like it would explode, her breathing became shallow and her eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and anger.

"No one was fatally injured which only causes the Regents to believe another attempt will be made. I have already informed Agent Wells of your arrival." Mrs. Frederick finished her address coldly.

Jinks turned to look at Myka, her eyes were red and watering but he could swear he noted a hint of hope as well.

Noting Myka’s silence, Pete got up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Alright Mykes, let's go save her…again."

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"THIS is where the father of science fiction chooses to live?!" Pete asked as he pulled the rental car into a sleazy looking motel parking lot.

"Pete, her house burned down. She didn't have a choice." Myka defended the poor woman but in all honesty, she was a little surprised as well.

"I mean I get that but you'd think that 147 years of home owner's insurance would get you somewhere a little bit nicer than a pay-by-the-hour." Pete looked over the sloppy motel with a curled lip.

The two stepped out of the car and approached room #13.

"Do you think she did that on purpose?" Pete asked as he knocked on the door.

Myka simply rolled her eyes and directed her attention back to the hotel room. She noticed movement behind the curtains and protectively she stepped back towards the car. If Helena's life really was in danger, there was no way of knowing who could be out to get her. Slowly grabbing for her Tesla, Myka steadied herself as she heard the chain on the door move. Raising the weapon ahead of her, she steadied her aim as the door swung open.

"Good afternoon, Agent Bering. Once again, it seems that we are destined to meet at gunpoint." Helena spoke confidently as she placed a finger at the end of the Tesla and lowered Myka's weapon.

"Pete, good to see you too!" Helena took a sip of tea from her Styrofoam cup and stepped aside.

The cheap furniture, hideous wallpaper, and questionable carpet were just as expected. There were three cardboard boxes that sat in the corner of the room, which were the only visible signs that someone had been staying there. Pete quickly made himself at home and laid across one of the small beds.

“It’s not much but it will do! Certainly better than the last place, couldn’t get a wink of sleep with all the banging on the walls at all hours…” Helena offered to break up the awkwardness that had settled between the three.

Pete lifted his head from the bed with a curious brow and was just about to inquire as to the banging sounds when Myka started in.

She remained standing by the door, arms crossed, "Helena, would you like to explain what is going on here??" Myka inquired with a bite in her tone.

Noticing the agent's edge, Helena licked her lips and crossed her arms to match, "Ah yes the reason for your visit… A few days ago the oven in my home was sabotaged. I had stepped out of the house and into the garage to fetch a bottle of wine. On my return, the corridor was already filled with smoke. I investigated the origin and found that the oven had mysteriously burst into flames. I was able to close the door but it was only effective until the second explosion took place. That is all I can recall." Helena explained as she ran a hand over a covered arm.

" H.G. I knew you were taking a cooking class but I didn't think you were that bad of a chef!" Pete said jokingly as he kicked his shoes off and onto the floor.

"You mentioned two explosions, did they find any kind of accelerant or device that could have caused the fire?" Myka asked seriously placing her hands on her hips.

"No… they were not able to recover anything, actually. The oven had completely melted by the time they were able to inspect the wreckage." Helena replied as she sat down on the edge of the bed beside of Pete. She ran her fingers through her hair, a tale tell sign that she wasn't doing well, Myka couldn’t help but notice.

"Helena…we're going to find whoever did this." Myka replied in a softer tone.

"But at what cost, Myka?" Helena asked as she looked her squarely in the eyes for the first time that day, "Nate and Adelaide could have been in the house. They could have died...because of me."

Helena stood and walked toward the bathroom, her back to both of the agents. She hadn't imagined this moment being so bittersweet. She had no idea what to expect from Myka after their last visit. She needed someone to talk to, someone to understand how she was feeling but this Myka…she was different.

She felt herself drifting and she needed to be pulled back in. Nate and Adelaide could have been killed, must she always endanger the lives of the ones she loved? Helena's eyes began to water and a single tear escaped her eyelashes.

Myka looked up just then to see Helena wipe at her face. She made a mental note to be less outwardly perturbed with the other woman.

The agents spent the rest of the day going over the police report and compiled a list of people who would want her dead. The list was unfortunately long considering the decades of people who could be behind such an attempt. They were able to dramatically shorten the list by removing all known dead but the investigation was slow. Artie had checked up on their progress throughout the day but grew irritated when they had yet to make any kind of headway. Pete's stomach growled ferociously and he happily excused himself to go and find a vending machine.

The room was deadly quiet in his absense; neither woman seemed to want to be the first to break the silence. Myka was seated in the chair by the window and Helena was once again perched at the end of the bed, running her hands through her hair.

Taking a deep breath, Helena and Myka began.

“Hel…

"Myka…"

"…ena, I…oh. Go ahead." Myka backtracked.

Myka’s voice had startled Helena and she searched for the words once again, "Myka…this... This has been a very complicated time in my life…"

"When are our lives not complicated, Helena?" Myka snapped.

"Point taken. I suppose a life interrupted by the Warehouse is doomed for complication. That being said, when you last visited me you said that I wasn't being true to who I was…" Helena was trying to find a dignified way to admit defeat.

"What happened between us… It's in the past. There’s no use in bringing back the dead.”

“I believe we both know that I couldn’t even if I tried, Myka.”

“Helena…” Myka didn’t really know how to respond to that. “What's important now is your safety. Why didn't you call us? You had no problem calling when a jawbone was reeking havoc on criminals but when someone tried to kill you, you suddenly trust the Regents?" Myka's temper was beginning to rear its ugly head.

"I wanted to call…" Helena began.

"Then why didn't you!? Do you have any idea what it's like to hear that someone you care about is in danger and they didn't think to call you first? We haven’t spoken in months and this is how I hear about you?" Myka's hands began to notably shake with as the betrayal in her voice grew stronger than the anger.

"I was in the hospital.” Helena offered as she lowered her head.

“What?”

“My phone had been destroyed in the fire and they wouldn't release me for 48 hours. I insisted that I would be alright on my own but they refused. The Regents were informed and the next thing I know…I’m moving three boxes of belongings from one hotel to another with instructions to stay low and contact no one."

"I….Are you ok? Why would the hospital keep you so long?" Myka asked, searching the woman in front of her for signs of illness or injury.

"Smoke inhalation being one reason but I believe they were mostly concerned about this." Helena said she slowly pushed back the sleeve to her sweater to reveal white bandaging covering her entire forearm.

"My god, Helena what happened?" Myka asked, immediately moving to sit beside Helena on the bed. Her eyes tried taking in the sight of an injured H.G. Wells but it was too painful and she dropped her head.

Noticing her reaction, Helena place a finger below Myka's jaw and drew her attention back to her face, "I'm fine. Myka, I'm going to be just fine. Learned to preheat the oven next time, really." Helena jested with a smile; she noticed a lightness appear in Myka's eyes.

Myka got lost herself in those beautiful brown eyes. She began to lean in, slowly closing the gap between them. As soon as she realized what she was doing, however, Myka lunged back and away from the intoxicating woman.

Helena remained silent, attempting to recover from what had almost happened. She was breathing hard, it was impossible for Myka to ignore. Helena was with Nate now, she wouldn’t let herself be the other woman again.

After a moment of shared tense silence, Myka got up from the bed and asked, "What about before?" she felt vulnerable and crossed her arms once again.

Helena felt the intimacy drain from the situation, back to business she supposed.

"Before? There was one time…I was in the bath, I had lit some candles and..." Helena tried to explain what had happened with the previous fire but it wasn’t entirely clear now if it really had been an accident afterall. She stopped when she noticed Myka's raised eyebrows raise opened mouth, "What?" Helena asked defensively.

Noticing her dropped jaw, Myka quickly cleared her face and took her seat by the window, "Helena, I… I'm not saying that I haven't thought about you… in similar…I mean when I’m… but I was referring to the fire." Myka offered as her face turned a deep shade of red.

A playful eyebrow raise from Helena was all that Myka needed to realize that she had just made a complete fool of herself.

“…you were talking about a fire…weren’t you…? …Shit… Helena what I meant was that… I had thought about… you know because…warehouse.” Myka realized there was no way to talk her way out of this one and Helena’s smirk confirmed that she would not live this one down.

“To quote the great Peter Lattimer, ‘We are going to follow up on that later.’” Helena replied in a slightly more husky tone than usual.

Myka posture had completely deflated. She closed her eyes in hopes of saving some dignity, “Tell me about the fire, please.”

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Helena replied in utter confusion.

“I was taking a bath and drifted off only to wake up to arson. I had assumed that a towel had fallen onto the flame but recent events have made me question that reasoning." Helena offered.

Still horribly embarrassed, Myka attempted to act as if she had not misinterpreted this story as a lusty water-filled confession, "Do you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary? A smell? A sound?"

"No, not in the least. The water in the tub washed out all external noise. " Helena replied as she crossed her legs and straightened her sleeves. She hadn’t been aware how flustered the prior conversation had made her.

"That makes two attempts then. Whoever this is, has been watching you. You said you had to explain the fire to Nate, were you alone when it happened?"

"Yes I was, Nate was working late and Adelaide was at the zoo. It was the first night I had to myself in weeks…." Helena replied noticing the pattern. "…and when the oven exploded, Nate was picking Adelaide up from her Kenpo lesson."

"They only target you when you’re alone. That's good. Pete and I will stay with you until we can decide our next move." She said pulling her phone from her pocket.

Myka stood and began pacing the room as the phone rang. She offered Helena a kind smile. At this was progress.

"Pete, so far they've only made attempts when Helena was alone. We're going to need to stay with her until we can figure out who's behind this."

"Fine with me!" Pete yelled as he walked through the door, "there's a burger stand just down the road and I've got some unfinished business with a waitress name Melissa" Pete said as he dropped a bag of food onto the bed.

Rolling her eyes, Myka hung up the phone and reached for one of the grease-soaked paper bags.

"Now that you're back, I'm going to let Artie know what's going on.” Myka said as she removed a carton of fries from the bag and offered the remains to Helena.

"Oh and Myka, darling…" Helena called after her.

"Yes?" she said swinging her head back through the doorframe.

"I do intend to follow up on our prior discussion..." Helena said as her lips stilled and lay parted.

Myka searched for a response but found nothing, instead she offered a goofy smile and without another word she left.

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Myka opened the Farnsworth and waited for Artie to answer.

"What's got you so happy?" Artie asked grumpily.

Wiping the expression from her face she began to fill Artie in about the fire by the bathtub and the fact that Helena was always alone. Artie had thought it odd that the assailant was favoring fire as his weapon. He decided that the assassin was either a pyromaniac or someone had gotten his hands on some kind of combustive artifact. He told Myka he'd call if he found anything in the books but in the meantime to find out if any of Helena's old 'acquaintances' had certain affinity for the flame. Myka nodded and before she could verbally agree to do so, Artie's face disappeared from the screen.

"Thanks Artie, I'll get right on that", Myka said with a bite and began walking back to the room.

"Myka! There you are! You missed hearing how H.G. beat Annie Oakley in a hand of poker!" Pete yelled as she walked through the door.

"Nearly took her for all she had!" Helena chuckled, they were both laying across the bed with their heads propped up on their hands looking like old friends catching up.

It was almost maddening how easily Helena fit back into their lives. How seamlessly she could walk back into the picture as if she had never left. It was almost as maddening as the way her jet-black hair effortlessly flowed across her shoulders or the way a single look from those eyes could make Myka’s vocabulary shrink to a single syllables. It was in fact maddening. Myka couldn’t let herself forget that Helena would leave them once again once this was all over.

Myka raised her eyebrows in fake amusement and politely smiled, "Artie thinks that figuring out why they are using fire should be our main focus. He thinks the assassin is either well versed in pyrotechnics or has come across a fire starting artifact." Myka said taking her seat by the window.

"Well H.G. have you ticked off any pyromaniacs recently?" Pete asked semi-jokingly.

"Recently? Not that I am aware of! I process loads of evidence in my lab, however, perhaps I helped to convict one?" Helena offered with a curious brow as she looked to Myka who was scribbling furiously on a notepad.

"What about before you were bronzed?" Myka asked without looking up from her pen and paper.

"At Warehouse 12 Wolcott and I dealt with a few fire artifacts but those were being kept in storage at Warehouse 13 last time I checked." Helena replied with a sharply, it irritated her when Myka purposely avoided looking at her.

"I'll have Artie check to see that they are still there then." Myka replied as she reached for her Farnsworth.

Noting the tension, Pete made his move.

"Myka, why don't I give ol' Artie a call and check up on the flammables. I think I left a box of pizza rolls in the freezer and I want to make sure Artie hasn't eaten them already."

Pete grabbed his jacket and headed outside with his Farnsworth in hand.

Helena realized what Pete was doing and shared a grateful nod with him before he disappeared out the door, "That cold shoulder of yours is making me miss the fires.”

Myka stiffly sat her pen down on the pad of paper and turned to face the other woman, "The faster we find the culprit, the sooner you can return to your life.” Myka's words were pointed and Helena couldn’t help but feel like she had become a burden once again.

"Very well, but one day you're going to grow tired of saving my life." Helena responded with a smile.

Myka's hard exterior broke down for a slight moment and she leaned into Helena and said, "Never."


	7. Never Be All Right

"Artie says that there are 6 fire-capable artifacts that were found during Warehouse 12 and all are accounted for…" Pete announced as she entered the motel room.

He hadn't thought to knock but now he wished he would have, Helena was sitting on the bed across from Myka. Her hand was resting on Myka's knee and the two appeared to be sharing a much-needed moment. Concerned about how it must look, Myka quickly crossed her legs causing Helena's hand to fall limply down.

A look of disappointment showed across Helena's face followed by hesistant understanding.

"Oh sorry, I just thought you might want to know what Artie had found, or not found… or found, I mean they were there. I mean it's not the artifacts." Pete stumbled along.

"Perfectly fine, Pete. Thank you for the update. Myka was just assuring me that I was in good hands. Figuratively speaking, of course." Helena joked.

"Heavens, is that the time?" Helena gasped when she realized that it was nearly two in the morning.

"Well I certainly could use some sleep. Beauty like this DOES happen over night." Pete grinned and turn towards the door.

"That's a good idea." Myka responded as she gathered her pen and paper and followed after Pete.

"Agents, aren't you forgetting something?" Helena called after the two.

Pete and Myka turned slightly to look around the room but found nothing. Their blank looks confirmed that Helena would have to spell it out for them.

"Fires do tend to start when I'm left alone…" she purposely didn't finish the thought.

Myka and Pete turned to look at each other and then to the extra bed in the room, they both remained silent.

"…so one of you might like to stay with me if you truly wish to avoid another barbecue." Helena said slightly irritated at the agent's lethargic response.

"If it's alright with you ladies, I'm going to sleep in the car. Myka snores and I could really use the rest." Pete joked as he patted Myka hard on the back and left before she could argue with him.

The door closed behind Pete and the two women stood staring at each other. Helena thought she saw a flicker of worry in Myka's eyes, "I suppose it's Wells and Bering once again" Helena said breaking the silence as she shifted her weight forward.

"Bering and Wells" Myka combated with a hint of a smile.

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Myka excused herself from the room to retrieve her belongings from the car. Pete was already asleep in the drivers seat, she would decide how hard to punch him in the morning. Myka had never stayed overnight in the same room as Helena when she was on the team and of course they would have to now that Helena had chosen Nate over her.

When she returned to the room, Myka was happy to find that Helena had moved into the bathroom to change. This would cut out some of the awkwardness that she was dreading so much.

Nervously Myka changed out of her clothes and into an oversized University of Colorado t-shirt and a pair of shorts, and searched for her glasses. Worried that it may seem like she was waiting for the other woman, Myka took out a book from the bottom of her bag, climbed into bed, and began to read. Or at least she tried. Waiting for Helena to come out of the bathroom was killing Myka’s nerves. Her heart was beating loudly and her breathing as shallow. She tried to concentrate on the page in front of her but found herself reading the same passage 4-5 times without remembering what she had seen.

The hinges on the bathroom door creaked loudly, announcing Helena's presence. Helena couldn't help but smile at the scene playing out in front of her. She had been faced with 'Agent Bering' so much that day that it was almost humorous how human Myka now appeared. Her hair was mussed and her makeup removed, her oversized shirt hung from her body, and she bit her lip, seemingly engrossed by the book she held in her hands.

Noticing the book, Helena saw her opportunity, "Good to see that one made it to print." Helena said nodding at the text, "I had left stacks of manuscripts for Charles before I was bronzed. I had hoped they would obtain him some sort of financial security in my absence."

Myka hadn't even noticed which book she had picked up and quickly glanced at the front.

"It appears I forgot to take it out of my bag from my and Steve Jinks' last trip to London. He insisted on visiting your home and brought me back a souvenir. " Myka lied hoping to look less pathetic than she felt.

Helena took in the tattered binding, bent pages, and recognized the lie for what it was.

"Ah, Agent Jinks I believe I remember him from my run-in with a certain Janus coin." Helena offered, "I was told that Claudia managed to bring him back?" Helena asked, goading Myka into conversation.

"Yes… she did. Not the easiest thing I’ve seen her do. They've been inseparable ever since. I think it's good for Claudia to have someone, they are a good team." Myka replied, setting the book on her lap and folding her hands on top of the pages.

"A good team, I've heard that before." Helena said sitting down on the edge of Myka's bed.

For the first time, Myka noticed Helena's blue silk camisole and matching shorts and her eyes strayed there a moment too long, "Yes, I believe you have.... We once made a great team." Myka quickly replied allowing Helena this single opportunity to dwell on the past.

"Before…" Helena began to complete the thought.

"Before, things didn't work out for us." Myka finished as she swept her eyes away from Helena’s body.

Realizing that they wouldn't be expanding on that topic, Helena took a deep breath "Well it seems as though I have a knack for realizing things far too late." She stood and approached the remaining empty bed.

"I suppose you do but it seems as though everything has worked out for you regardless." Myka responded remembering Helena's home with Nate and Adelaide. Myka wouldn’t let herself be pulled back into Helena again.

Helena nodded her head and climbed beneath the covers, she was tempted to tell Myka what had happened with Nate. She wanted to explain how hard she tried to make it work but how miserably she had failed. She wanted to tell Myka how much she had missed her and how in just the last twenty-four hours she felt happier and more like herself than she had ever when she was with Nate.

She wanted to tell Mya that she was sorry and that she could never forgive herself for hurting the one person who knew her better than anyone else. The more she thought about it, the more she could imagine Myka's cold eyes and distant reply. This Myka wasn’t hurting, she was mad. She was focused. She was fine without Helena. She curled up in the bed and reached over to turn off the light.

After lying in the darkness for what seemed like a century, Helena found the last bit of courage she had in her, "I want to be a good team again."

Silence hung in the air and Helena made no attempts to pry a response from quiet agent. This was exactly what Helena had been afraid of. She waited too long, she realized things too late, Myka had moved on with her life and this was the price Helena had to pay. Lying there feeling exposed, Helena allowed the harsh silence to claim her and she fell fast asleep.

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" _But you're…you're out there…" Myka realized, sorrow filling her eyes._

_"It had to be initiated from outside the barrier." Helena explained._

_Myka's eye grew large with shock realizing that the woman had sacrificed herself for them…her. Helena looked on taking in every inch of the other woman's beauty. If anyone deserved to live, it was Myka; she had given so much to Helena. Myka had saved her life more times than she could count, she had believed in her when no one else would, and now Helena had found a way to repay her. She opened her mouth to thank her but no sound left her body, instead she looked on knowing that hope still existed as along as Myka lived. A small smile interrupted the shock on Myka's face and Helena knew she finally understood._

_Taking in her last breath of air, Helena could smell the growing scent of apples. A large explosion sent flames ripping through her, the sparks tore through her skin and the blaze destroyed her body, but Helena was still alive. The heat from the fire pulling her body higher and higher until…_

Helena lurched up in her bed gasping for air. It was hot, burning hot. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness of the room, flames consumed the walls and carpet surrounding her bed; they inched closer to her with each breath she took. To be entirely honest, Helena was growing rather tired of fire but at least this time she was not alone.

_A bloody great time for the assassin to grow brave.... MYKA._

A horrified Helena looked beyond the growing flames, she could see Myka sleeping peacefully, safe from the touch of the flames.

This was personal, she realized, the fire wanted her and only her.  If she yelled Myka would be in danger, she would be burnt in her attempts to save Helena from yet another life-threatening situation. Taking a standing position on the cheap mattress, Helena looked for a way out of her ring of fire. With each tried escape, the fire grew closer and hotter. The flames seemed to know her every move, it blocked every exit, and stunted each of her efforts. The flames were smart, too smart. This artifact would kill her, if not today then tomorrow.

The flames began licking at the edge of the mattress. Helena’s body glistened with sweat in the heat, it was fighting but it had little left to offer. She had struggled to breathe in the hot air but smoke was now making it nearly impossible. The lack of oxygen dropped Helena to her knees. It wouldn’t be long now. There was no time for the team to find the artifact. It would end now. She remembered this feeling from before, she would soon black out and the fire would take care and save the others. She looked through the flames and smoke to Myka's sleeping form and said a silent goodbye; Myka shouldn't have to see this. She had tried to save her and for that, Helena was forever grateful but Myka didn’t need this. Without Helena to interfere Myka could lead a happy and healthy life and above all she’d be safe. She closed her eyes and waited for the flames to take her. A forced knocked her back against the bed and held her down.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HELENA?!" Myka yelled, she had woken up in time to see Helena's eyes close and her body about to give into the roaring blaze surrounding her.

Refusing to witness the surrender and defeat of such a strong woman, Myka threw a blanket over her body and made the jump onto Helena's bed, knocking her over. Myka threw the burning blanket into the flames. Helena may be ready to give up, but she couldn't. The adrenaline coursing through Myka's body was evident as strong hands forced Helena up and onto her collapsing legs.

"Myka…" Helena began using up the last of the air in her lungs, "it's all right." The words had just left her lips as her body fell limp once again.

"Losing you will never be all right." Myka said holding Helena against her.

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When Helena's eyes opened once more, the room was dark and quiet.

 _If this is hell, they certainly over sold it,_ Helena thought to herself.

She shifted her weight and strained her eyes to find depth in the room. The blinking of small lights led her eyes to find a form sitting beside of her.

"I take it you are the one, then?" Helena asked through a raspy voice, her mouth was dry from the smoke.

The figure did not move.

"I will not be held against my will and not know my captors face." Helena boldly insisted.

Still the form remained stoic. Helena moved her hands along the bed, her hands searching for something to protect her and indeed finding a telephone receiver. The brittle woman sprang from the bed striking the form across the face, her captor towards her. Helena managed her way behind the dark form and quickly wrapped attached chord around their neck. She pulled tighter and tighter as a gurgle escape the form's mouth.

"Now tell me who you are and I will award you the least painful way to die." Helena whispered in the form's ear as she loosened the chord slightly.

There was a gasp of air followed by a reply, "No. Killing. Myka. Super. Pissed.”

Helena recognized the statement from before and released the man, "PETER?!" she asked surprised as she released her grasp on the phone cord.

"Uh, hi there H.G. if you don't mind me asking, what do you think you're doing?" He said rubbing his throat and standing up from the chair.

Helena felt foolish but it soon double when Pete flipped the light switch revealing a pristine medical room.

"I uh…well….warehouse." Helena scrambled to explain herself but each clarification sounded worse than the last.

Pete laughed at Helena's speechlessness, "Thought I was some big bad guy waiting to kill you in some dirty warehouse, huh?" Pete asked petting an imaginary goatee.

"Not far from my expectations…" Helena replied embarrassed.

"Well you got one part right." Pete said as he raised his arms into the air, "Welcome back to Warehouse 13. Artie insisted that you be brought back after the whole 'Days Innferno' thing."

Helena looked about the room but failed to recognize it, "Days Inern…what?...Wait the hotel! Oh my god, Myka!" Helena remembered her standing there in the fire as she lost sight of the world around her.

"Myka is just fine, H.G. She was somehow able to carry you out of the room and into safety without a singed hair on her head." Pete offered.

"That means it must be an artifact." Helena replied putting the pieces of her memory back together, "the fire didn't want her, it sought only me."

Pete nodded, "Yeah, Artie said he'd never heard of any artifact like that though….Oh by the way! I'm supposed to ask for Nate's contact information so that we can let him know that you are safe." He said pulling out his phone. “Of course the Regents probably have it but the less he knows about them, the better, I guess.”

"That won't be necessary, Pete." Helena replied flatly.

"Of course it is, he's probably worried sick that you've become some kind of roast duck by now!"

Helena took a moment and found the words she needed, "It won't be necessary because Nate and I are no longer together. Informing him of my whereabouts would only be more of a burden upon him and his family." Helena had spoken with bowed head but looked up to see Pete's reaction.

Pete’s jaw had dropped and his eyebrows were raised so high they nearly met his hairline.

"Oh!" Pete managed to reply, he tapped the phone against the palm of his hand a few times and asked, "Does Myka know about this?" he asked scratching his forehead absentmindedly with the useless phone.

Helena had known this question was coming and still she was unprepared to give an answer.

"No… she does not. Myka expressed little interest in catching up. I hardly think she would enjoy hearing about my failed engagement." Helena offered, lifting her left hand in the air for Pete to notice a small pale band across her finger.

Pete smiled but realized it was an inappropriate response, "You never know, Myka is full of surprises these days." And with that Pete left the room.

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"Is it true?! Is H.G. back?" Claudia yelled as she bounded down the stairs to the dinning room, her eyes searched but found no such person.

"H.G. is being seen to by Vanessa at the moment. They should be joining us any time now." Artie explained as he took a seat.

Myka was already seated and was eating a bowl of cereal with more determination and concentration than necessary. Noticing her efforts Artie felt the need to interfere, "You know Myka, I'm a little surprised that you're not more excited to have H.G. back at the Warehouse."

Their eyes met and Myka set her spoon down into the empty bowl, "I'm happy Helena's here. Claudia seems to have really missed her." Myka said finishing with a forced smile.

"Excited isn’t the word. I only hope she doesn't take this time for granted. Who knows the next time a literary genius will grace us with their presence." Jinks commented as he came walking down the stairs.

Myka's eyes flew to Jinks and without another word he followed Claudia into the kitchen.

"He's right you know, I should really ask H.G. about a few of the artifacts she bagged for Warehouse 12. I'm almost certain one of them is causing mischief in the Machine Age Sector." Artie added as he picked up the morning paper form the table.

 _Is one of them a cross,_ Myka thought,  _because I'm fairly certain she's still carrying that one around with her._


	8. Hang in There

By the time Vanessa finished her inspection of Helena, it was well past breakfast, "It appears as though you'll live another day, Agent Wells." Vanessa said as she finished rewrapping Helena’s burnt forearm.

"Yes, I suppose I will." Helena replied as she stood up from the edge of the bed. Her lungs were sore from the smoke but she would be back in working order soon. “Perhaps in something more than a paper gown...”

"I'm sorry to say that your clothing was destroyed in the fire", Vanessa offered," Agent Bering was kind enough to lend you some, however, I believe you two are about the same size." Vanessa handed Helena a stack of folded clothing and left the room.

Taking a pressed blue button-up from the top of the pile, Helena paused to admire it. She had always been quite partial to the French Blue color and was flattered to see that Myka had noticed.

_Perhaps there is hope afterall._

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"H.G!" Claudia yelled as she ran towards Helena and Vannessa with her arms open wide.

"Hello there, darling." Helena said with a kind smile as she wrapped her arms around Claudia.

"You've got to see what I've been working on with the Farnsworth, I'm so close to enabling visual voicemail!" Claudia was overjoyed to have the inventor back in the house. No one else shared her love of gadget like H.G. had.

"Careful Claudia." Vanessa instructed, "She may look fine but Helena still has quite a bit of a recovery ahead of her. Contrary to the circus, lungs were not meant for breathing fire."

Claudia eased her grip on the woman and slowly backed away to stand beside Steve, a guilty expression filling her face.

Helena offered her a comforting smile.

"Agent Jinks, I recall." Helena recalled as she shifted her attention to the others in the room.

"H.G. Wells…" Jinks replied slightly bowing his head, "I uh… I was under cover. The Regents thought it was our best chance." Jinks hurriedly added.

"No explanation, necessary. I'm well aware of the Regents' blind tactics." Helena shared a kind smile with the man. A clearing of the throat brought her attention away from the pair and directly to Artie.

"Hello, Arthur." She said with a coy smile. After confronting him about the Astrolade, the two had had developed a rather interesting relationship.

"H….Helena." Artie replied slightly raising his hand to wave, "We've arranged for you to stay in your old room. Pete and Myka just took your boxes upstairs."

Helena nodded her head in gratitude, "Thank you, that would be quite lovely." She said smiling at the pair as they made their way down the steps.

Myka looked up from her feet to see Helena standing there in her shirt and pants.

 _Of course she has to look better in them than me,_ Myka thought. She was not nearly as upset as she wished she were. Watching Helena give up like she had angered Myka to no end but nothing compared the sight of her back in the B&B with all the others.

As she made her way to the bottom of the stairs, she and Helena shared a long glance. "Thank you for the clothing, Myka. I promise to return them when this is all done and over with." Helena said running her hands over her torso.

Myka's eyes fell to the other woman's forearm, Helena had rolled up the sleeves on the shirt leaving her fresh bandages exposed. Myka's eyebrows furrowed with concern. Following the woman's gaze, Helena tugged the sleeve lower to cover the white gauze.

“I believe I owe you more than just a thank you, however. What you did, how you saved me… Myka…” Helena wasn’t sure what to say. She was embarrassed and thankful and it was all so overwhelming.

Myka raised a hand to stop her from finishing that thought. She wasn’t ready to forgive Helena just yet but this wasn’t the place or time to have that conversation.

"Yes Myka, well done. I want you and Pete to comb through Helena's belonging. The way the fire responded to Myka means it is must be caused by an artifact and with no break in, it's possible she has been carting around her own death sentence.” Arties’s interruption was more than welcome as it would allow both women to collect themselves for their inevitable conversation.

“Claudia and Steve, I want you two to look for an artifact to counteract the fire when it strikes again. Helena you're with me." Artie barked and the team scrambled in different directions.

Helena looked back up at Myka’ as she ascended the stairs, she took a deep breath and followed Artie. Whatever was in store for her next, Helena had a feelings she wasn’t going to like it.

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Once back in the warehouse office, Artie sat down his chair swiveled to face Helena.

"This artifact is deeply connected to you and I think we both know it. The fire starting when Myka with you is proof that it had nothing to do with you being alone. So to get to the bottom of this we're going to use extreme measures." Artie stood and made his way across the office to a filing cabinet.

Pulling out what appeared to be a shoebox, he stood in front of Helena, "Have a seat, Helena. You're going to want it."

Helena took a seat in an overstuffed chair against the wall.

"At age nineteen, Debbie Reynolds accepted a role in the movie Singin' in the Rain. Not being a dancer, she was unprepared for the nineteen hour rehearsals and grand musical numbers…" Artie began to explain.

"Artie, this is hardly the time for a musical number." Helena interrupted him.

Artie was not pleased and continued his explanation, "after a week on set, Debbie Reynolds couldn't stand let alone dance. The following week, however, she was back on her feet dancing night and day alongside some of the greatest dancers. Do you know how?" Artie asked knowingly.

Helena shook her head not exactly seeing where this was going.

"These shoes allowed her to relocated her feelings to whomever she chose. The man rumored to be her ex-boyfriend spent months laid up in the hospital complaining of horrendous foot and ankle pain. He could not walk until months after the motion picture was finished."

Helena smiled, it seemed as though she would have liked this Debbie Reynolds.

"You want me to use the shoes to…"

"To explore your feelings" Artie finished her sentence handing her the pair of shoes.

"Oh dear…Arthur…" Helena said begrudgingly taking the shoes from him.

"Hey, I'm not any happier about this than you are! Don't think for a second I want to sit down and talk about your feelings let alone have them thrown onto me!" Artie grumbled as she sat back down into his chair.

"Alright then let's get this over with. What do I do?" Helena asked looking over the small shoes; they weren't going to fit on her feet.

"You don't have to wear them for something like this, just hold the shoes and look me in the eyes, ok, now tell me about the first fire." Artie said leaning forward towards the woman.

"OH! And seeing how the shoes work, I think it would be best to stop the story once the fire starts. I have no desire to experience being burnt to a crisp."

Helena nodded understandingly and ran her fingers along her bandaged arm.

Looking into Artie's eyes she thought back to the bathtub, "I had the house to myself. Nate was working late and Adelaide was spending the night with a friend. It was the first night in a long while since I had the house to myself. I thought I'd pamper myself. I lit some candles and took along a book and then settled in. I read for a while but the warm water coaxed my eyes shut. I set the book on the floor and sunk down into the tub. I must have drifted off because I was awoken by the smoke detector on the wall." She explained, not breaking eye contact.

Artie nodded slightly, "and the second one?"

Helena breathed deeply, the second had to be the worst. Not only for the damage it caused but also because of the realization it brought.

"I was home preparing dinner for Nate and Adelaide, lasagna to be exact. I looked the recipe up in a book and was quite proud of myself for putting it all together. It was the first night that Nate would be home for dinner…" Helena began describing the evening but stopped abruptly, her own words felt foreign in her mouth, and her voice was void of emotion.

"Helena, I need you to tell me everything. Holding back even the slightest detail could make our efforts completely worthless.”

Helena thought about the words to use to explain the situation, for once she felt nothing, "we were growing apart or at least it felt like it. In pictures, we looked perfectly happy but,… something was missing. I was…so close to happiness but I couldn't feel it. I thought that having dinner together would pull us back to each other. It would fill the void that I had been feeling. I thought all I needed to do was to try harder. I called Nate to see where he was and he said that he would be picking up Adelaide and would be home soon. I wanted everything to be perfect. I went to the garage to pick out a bottle of wine to drink with the meal. That's when I opened the door and realized there was a fire."

Helena noticed Artie's eyes begin to fill with tears, his eyelashes batting them away.

"These are your feelings, Helena! Don't look at me that way!" Artie sobbed, the tears fell from his eyes and he wiped them away furiously. "Don't stop now, I will not be doing this again." Artie barked.

In any other situation, Helena would have been startled by his abruptness but now, looking into his eyes she saw herself. She saw the emptiness that she felt but couldn't put into words.

"Hang in there darling, you won't feel like that forever." Helena said, looking Artie in the eyes.

Her tone was soft almost maternal, Artie knew that she was not really speaking to him.

In a soft and caring voice most foreign to him, Artie prodded her to continue, "Now tell me about the last fire…"

Helena took a deep breath and tried to decide where to start, "Pete had left Myka and I to get ready for bed. I was sitting on the edge of her bed, trying to get her to talk to me. Myka's responses were cold and distant as if I were a stranger. She said that Claudia and Agent Jinks made a good team; I remembered her saying the very same things about us once. I made a remark about always realizing things too late and she agreed. She said that it looked as if I was better off because of it and… I couldn't disagree. It DID look like that but that's because she didn't know how unhappy I really was due to my own idiocy."

Without her emotions holding her back, Helena spoke confidently and almost objectively, "I thought to tell her, I wanted to tell her. I laid in bed searching for a way to speak to her but I. I was afraid. Instead, I told her that I wanted to be a good team again. She didn't reply… either she had fallen asleep or she didn't care to respond. Whichever the circumstance, there was only quiet and I fell asleep."

"I'm sure she just fell asleep, Helena. Myka does care about you." Artie said before his mind could register his own words. His eyes were red and he began to sniffle; "Now I don't know what's going to happen when you let go of the shoes…" He explained trying to prepare her for the unknown. He held out his hands in front of him and waited for her to deposit the shoes.

Feeling in her gut that this was not going to pleasant, Helena took a long, deep breath and let go.

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"Ok, now if I remember correctly it should be somewhere in this aisle…" Claudia said pushing a purple, dripping shopping cart through the warehouse.

"You look ridiculous." Jinks said taking in the obscurity of the scene. The cart was leaving a trail of purple goo and Claudia herself was consequently covered.

"Can you think of any other way to carry a bunch of artifacts around without being whammied or having them team up on us!?" Claudia asked as she continued her search down the never-ending aisles.

"Didn't think so!" She said as she stopped in front a shelf housing a fan, "Here it is!" Claudia rolled onto her tiptoes and took the fan from the shelf and placed it into the cart.

"Claude, I appreciate the practicality for once but don't you think we can do a little better than supply a fire with more oxygen?" Jinks asked flicking the fan with this gloved fingers.

"This fan went into space with a Soviet Union spaceship and returned alone." Claudia said crossing her arms at his challenge, "It sucks all the oxygen out of the room."

Jinks took a notable step away from the fan and followed Claudia down the next aisle.

"Don't you think it's kinda nice to have H.G. back?" Claudia asked looking over each shelf she passed.

"Yeah, I suppose so! I mean I never really worked with her but Myka seems happy." Jinks replied reading the descriptions to the artifacts to his right.

"What was that?" Claudia asked spinning on her feels causing Jinks to run over her.

"What?" Jinks asked realizing he may have said too much already.

"You said that Myka seemed happy. What's that supposed to mean?" Claudia asked stepping into Jinks' personal space.

"Just that she's probably glad to have her old partner in crime back! That’s a thing that people say." Jinks' replied in defense, "She's been through a lot this year, I'm just glad to see she's acting more like herself these days."

Claudia shrugged and turned back to the cart with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, you're right. When Myka confessed she had feelings for H.G., I wasn't too sure about it but I think they are better off together." Claudia said nonchalantly as she gathered the next artifact on her list.

"WAIT! She told you too?" Jinks asked jumping in front of the cart.

"NOPE! But you just did!" Claudia yelled pointing a goo covered finger in his face.

"Claude! That was dirty. You can't let Myka know I told you, she'll kill me." Jinks begged with an uncharacteristically flamboyant puppy dog face.

"Oh put the gay face away, talk about playing dirty. I won't say anything. I totally called that though. " Claudia said pushing the cart into the Yukon Sector.

The cart was nearly overflowing with various artifacts and Claudia was spraying them down with a squirt gun full of goo.

"Do you think H.G. would leave Wisconsin is she found out?" she asked honestly.

Steve thought for a moment, "I don't really know her all that well. I don't know if that would be enough. Myka seemed to get the closure she needed on our last trip to London. It may be too late." Jinks said shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah but the way they look at each other…" Claudia began, she had noticed how pained Myka's face looked when she saw H.G.'s arm, "I think there's still something there! If Mr. Single Dad wasn't in the picture they could totally make it work." Claudia said checking off the last artifact on list.

"You just want her to stay around to help your upgrade the Farnsworth!" Jinks said seeing Claudia's true motives.

"Ok, maybe, but you can't tell me it wouldn't be nice if we could at least have different ringtones. That way we'd have a warning when Artie was calling to check up on us!"

Jinks laughed, he didn't disagree.

"We'd better get these to H.G. and Artie before the next bonfire starts."

Jinks' nodded in agreement and plugged his nose as he followed the younger girl back to the office.

"You'd think that after all this time, the warehouse would have found a better smelling goo!" Jinks joked through a nasal voice.

Claudia and turned to look at him and laughed, "You can be such a queen sometimes!".


	9. Too Close

"Don't you feel like it's weird going through H.G.'s stuff?" Pete asked as he pushed the door to her old room open.

"Pete what are you talking about?" Myka asked walking straight for the cardboard boxes.

"I mean like… it's H.G. what if she booby traps her belongings or… what if she has like personal stuff in there… you know like PERSONAL stuff." Pete explained as he raised his shoulders so high that his neck seemed to disappear into his collarbones.

"Pete, you're being ridiculous!" Myka said taking the lid off one of the boxes, "She's H.G. Wells, not your mother. You're going to be fine."

"What do you think she keeps in these things?" Pete asked stepping closer to the open box and craning his neck to see inside, "Her old inventions? Plans to take over the world? A diary of her romantic partners and a detailed report of their 'encounters'…especially with the female ones you know?"

"Pete! Shut up or I will hurt you." Myka replied as she uncovered the first item, "They're… they're memories?" Myka said meaning to answer Pete but sounded rather confused.

"You so sure about that, Mykes?" Pete asked noticing her tone.

"Yeah… look… it's us." Myka said holding up the photo frame for Pete to see.

"Oh… Leena took that one." Pete offered with a smile on his face.

"I didn't expect…" Myka's voice trailed off as she placed the photo on the desk beside of the boxes.

"You didn't think we'd be in here, did you?" Pete asked as he pulled out the desk chair and sat over one of the closed boxes.

"No it's just…" Myka began to explain but stopped when she realized she had no idea what to expect.

"You know for someone who's been on Team Wells all this time, you sure do have your doubts about her." He said as he sat back in the chair and crossed his arms.

Myka's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you trying to say, Pete?" her voice portraying pain more than misunderstanding.

"Say these were my things, or Claudia's, or Jinks'… you would never have been surprised to find a photo of us but for someone reason it surprises you that H.G. even cared to keep this photo. Why?"

For the first time in weeks, Pete's voice was sobering. Myka took a took a seat on the bed in the middle of the room and looked around as if searching for an answer.

Myka's eyes settled on the window where a bird was perched on the sill, "It never felt like she was really here. After she left…when she left I had to remind myself that she had been here. That we had worked together. That she was a part of the team….She left and took every bit of herself away." Myka watched as the bird flew from the windowsill and into a nearby tree where it found its nest.

"When you love something, you leave bits of yourself with it. Helena had no problem turning her back on the warehouse she never even looked back. How could I expect someone capable of that to…to care…about any of us?" Myka finished as tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Myka, I think she did leave a bit of her behind… in you.”

“PETE, I SWEAR TO GOD.”

“No, no hear me out. I’m serious. H.G. didn’t leave anything here because she didn’t love the B&B or the Warehouse. Myka… I think she left a part of herself with you. Maybe that’s why you’ve been so torn up after she left. Maybe you’ve just been holding a piece and waiting for her to return for it.”

Myka couldn’t believe it. Maybe he was right. Maybe she never let go. Maybe she had just buried it deep down and had tried to forget about it. 

"Maybe", Myka said as she moved towards the open box once again. She sorted through pictures of Charles, first editions of some of the most famous works in literature, and then a locket with a picture of Christina.

"Ok, but this…"Myka interrupted the silence, "Helena loves this locket, probably more than anything else. It's the only photo she had of her daughter and here it is in a box. A cardboard box." Myka said showing Pete the locket. “She obviously was ready to forget about us all. To pack us into these boxes and just pull us back out when she wanted.”

Pete could see that she wasn't going to be moving on anytime soon.

"In college I wanted to join this frat so bad." Pete began to explain, "They gave all the pledges a treasure map to find the location of one of the most biggest parties of the year. Everyone who was going was sworn to secrecy, no one could know the location unless they were told by the brotherhood. I spent all day trying to figure it out. I studied that map harder than I have ever studied for anything in my entire life. I figured it was happening somewhere in the library but the problem was, the library had four floors, two wings, and a basement. There was no way that I could search every inch of the library and be able to make it to the party. Well, I didn't know that then at least. I spent hours and I mean HOURS walking through every hallway, lobby, study room, everywhere to find that party but I never found it." Pete's voice was low and full of defeat.

Myka thought to laugh at how trivial the whole thing was but thought it distasteful in the moment. "So what happened?" Myka removing her hands from the box.

"I left the library at four in the morning, exhausted, defeated, and disappointed in myself. And when I walked out those doors and across the quad, I looked back when I heard some people yelling. The party had been on the roof the entire time." Pete finished sitting back in his chair with a 'wise' smile across his face.

"Please tell me there is a reason I sat through a story about ‘the party that got away.’" Myka said annoyed that she fell prey to one of Pete's idiotic tales.

"Mykes, I was too close to see it. You are too close to see it."

Surprised that Pete had actually managed to make sense, she quietly sat herself on the floor in front of the boxes and continued her search thoughtfully. 

Thinking that all of Helena's things were old enough to be an artifact, Pete tried bagging each and every item in the box. Myka laughed at Pete's approach and began slipping each questionable item into the bags as well.

After bagging half of her box Myka stopped and turned to Pete, "Maybe you're right…" she began.

A large grin grew on Pete's face and he replied, "Excuse me? Did you say something?"

"Maybe you're right." She said appeasing his childish ways.

"One more time with feeling!" Pete said taking this moment for all it was worth.

"PETE!" Myka yelled ending her streak of kindness, "Maybe I am too close. I've been thinking about it and… Helena's had a hard life. First losing her daughter, then losing her partner, and in the end nearly losing her mind. Helena's had a lot of pain in her life and… if I were her, I'd want to distance myself from a lifetime of sadness as well… I don't think I could wear a picture of my own child around my neck everyday and try to love another man's daughter. I don't think I could look at pictures of my siblings and be happy knowing that I couldn't see them again. I thought she didn't care about us but maybe she cared too much and it got in the way of her happiness." Myka's posture had fallen and tears were falling onto the old newspaper wrappings in the box in front of her.

"Mykes, you’re too close." 

"I know! I know I am! I know I was too wrapped up in my own life that I couldn't see how miserable we were making her! I was too blinded by my own sadness that I couldn't see how she was doing the only thing that could help her find happiness. I know, Pete, I know!" Myka was nearly wailing and her tears fell quicker and harder into the box.

"No Mykes, I mean you're too close. You're getting her stuff wet and… Pete said as he stood over Myka's broken form and pulled out a light brown leather jacket from the box, "water ruins leather."

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Like a large tidal wave, the emotions came breaking through her defenseless figure. All at once the she remembered the goodbyes, the pleading, the laughs, the tears, the agony, the emptiness, the fear, and the hopelessness. 

Gasping for breathe, Helena bent over and placed her head between her knees. Her body shook uncontrollably and tears fell from her face and peppered the ground at her feet. Helena's head was spinning, her heart pounded through her chest, and her lungs struggled to keep air in her breaking body.

She remembered the emptiness she had just felt and now would give anything to feel less. To feel less anguish. Less torment. Less hopelessness.

"Make it stop, Arthur, PLEASE make it stop!" Helena cried out between desperate gulps of breath.

"I can't Helena, there is nothing I can do!" A tinge of worry filled his voice as he watched the woman collapse onto the floor fighting for air, fighting for stability, and fighting for her sanity.

"I can't, I can't do this. I can't handle this. Please make it stop." Helena's cries grew in agony what once sounded like a plea for help had turned into a sorrowful weep.

"All actions have their consequences, Helena, you have to come to terms with your feelings. You can't let them control you. You have to get a grip on yourself!" Artie yelled kneeling beside of the convulsing woman on the floor.

"I know you feel broken, I know you don't think that these feelings are every going to pass but they have! You're experiencing your old emotions, they passed, and you made it through them. You can do the same now!" Artie said laying a hand on Helena's shoulder.

"Oh help me, THIS IS NOT A HUG." Artie yelled as he pulled Helena into his arms and held her tightly against him, "now breathe." 

Helena's shaking began to subside and her head had started to clear. 

"Breathe." Artie said once more squeezing Helena's fragile body in his arms, "Just breathe."

Helena's heart slowed and her lungs no longer had to struggle for oxygen. "Artie, how did you do that?!" Helena asked, amazed that he had been able to pull her out of an artifact induced emotional seizure.

"They squeeze cows before they are sent to slaughter. It calms their nerves." Artie said matter-of-factly as he pushed himself of the office floor.

"Oh…." Helena replied she had not expected to be compared to dumb cattle, "well then, that's that." 

Collecting herself from the floor, Helena stood and dusted off her shirt and pants. "Artie, you really should dust more, your floors are filthy." Helena said looking down at her dirt-covered palms.

"Abigail isn't exactly the cleaning woman that Leena was." Artied explained, "Besides, I usually don't have sobbing English inventors collapsing in my office."

"Now Artie, I hardly think it's necessary to jest about something like that at a time like this." Helena said trying to redeem the parts of her pride she had left on the floor.

"Perhaps you're right. It appeared to me that you were feeling… desperate and…. Vulnerable before the fires started. In the bath you were physically vulnerable but emotionally desperate for peace, the dinner well… that's obvious, and then with yours and Myka's partnership… again desperate and vulnerable." Artied explained as he grabbed a marker and began to write on the board in his office.

"I resent your use of the word 'desperate' in terms of my relations with anyone." Helena said almost pouting.

"Resent all you want, my dear Agent Wells, your feelings do not lie." Artie said finishing off a the 'e' in on the word “desperate” on the board. "Hmmmm… something isn't right." Artie mumbled to himself as he began pacing.

"What is it Artie? What's wrong?" Helena asked she he followed the man with her eyes as he paced up and down the office.

"If vulnerability and desperation cause the fires then where's the fire?" Artie asked looking straight at Helena, "You should be surrounded by flames after that fit you just had." Artie explained.

“Fit. Really, Arthur.”

Just then an alarm on the computer went off, Artie quickly addressed the intrusion.

"I think I just found it." Artie said as he pointed to the words "Heat Warning" on the screen. "Your fire is somewhere in the warehouse."

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"The Ovoid Quarantine? Why one Earth would the fire be in a tent?" Helena asked after Artie had found its exact location.

"I assume because the warehouse itself is too large to encase in fire…or because it wasn't taken camping when it was younger. I DON'T KNOW DO I LOOK LIKE SOME KIND OF FIRE WHISPERER?!" Artie yelled heading to the periscope to investigate further. As he put his eye to the lens, he could see Claudia and Steve making their way back to the office with that looked like a shopping cart.

"Come along Helena we have to help Claudia and Steve put out the fire before it comes into contact with any of the other artifacts. Who knows what could happen if a wild fire started roamed the aisles." With that Artie grabbed his bag and headed down the stairs towards the others with Helena in toe.

"Alright Ms. Wells, you can borrow a cup of flour but I insist on getting a sneak peak of the new recipe you're working on!" Claudia said in the best housewife voice she could conjure up as she pushed the grocery cart.

"Claudia, this is no time for games. Helena has triggered a fire in quarantine tent. We need to get over there before the whole warehouse burns down!" 

"Why couldn't be have gotten Segway's?" Jinks pouted as his legs began to burn from the team’s haste.

Helena and Claudia both turned to give him an objectionable look, "Don't say it. That time I heard it myself." Jinks added.

The team arrived at the tent only to find that fire contained and seemingly harmless at the moment.

"What now? Do we drag out the marshmallows and tell ghost stories?" Claudia joked as she elbowed Jinks in the ribs.

Steve raised his eyebrows and licked his lips, "I'm down”.

"I'm sorry to interrupt the slumber party, ladies, but I think the fire is starting to break through. I think it sense its friend." Artie said drawing their attention to the top of the tent where smoke had appeared.

"Another time then. TO THE ARTIFACTS!" Claudia yelled as she eagerly approached the cart. 

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"Alright, so fan that sucks oxygen out of the world, not a good idea." Claudia said taking deep breaths and placing the fan back into the empty cart. The others were still recovering from their close dance with asphyxiation. "So what next? The buoy from the only boat to survive a tsunami or…" Claudia said observing the artifacts covering the floor.

"Just give us a moment to regroup." Artie said coughing and wheezing, "there has to be away to stop this artifact without killing ourselves with another."

"Artie, the Ovoid Quarantine… what do we know about it?" Helena asked as she attempted to stand. Her lungs had already been in bad condition but the lack of oxygen all but about did her in.

"The quarantine is a glorified holding tank for incoming artifacts. The tent is laced with neutralizer making it one of the safest places in the warehouse…oh no. Oh no. Oh no. no. no." Artie began to trail off into a stream of worry.

"What is it Artie?" Claudia asked noticing the obvious the change in his tone.

"Helena, this is where it happened. This is it. We stood inside that tent with Syke's bomb trying to defuse it…" Artie hurriedly explained.

"When I found an anomaly and refocused the barrier." Helena said finishing his thought. "Do you think this has anything to do with the…" Helena asked uncertain.

"THE ASTROLADE?" Claudia exclaimed interrupting the two, "You mean the artifact that decimated the warehouse AND HG & Mrs. Frederick?! Are you kidding me! I thought we were done with that!"

"I don't know. If someone got their hands on it, the entire thing could be reversed and we would be none the wiser…. Unless…" Artie began to explain.

“Unless someone is trying to end the lives that were saved.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments! They make my day!!!! GO BERING & WELLS!


	10. Going to Be All Right

"Pete you are the most irritating person I have ever met", Myka said as she wiped the tears from her face as she attempted to regain control of herself. Pete’s preoccupation with saving a leather jacket over comforting Myka’s feelings had her anger rising.

"That's because you haven't met my cousin Freddie. That guy, that guy is the worst. One minute you're talking about getting a promotion at work and the next he's showing you his mint collection of figurines and won't even let you touch them." Pete said as he folded the leather jacket and threw it onto the bed.

"Pete, really…" Myka said as he turned to glare at him.

"Really, Mykes. It's the worst. He's all 'You'll break Spok'…" Pete rambled.

"No, are you REALLY talking about this now?!" Myka asked as she waved her arms towards the boxes.

"I get chatty when I'm hungry. How about I go make us sandwiches?" Pete said as he rubbed his belly and motioned out the door.

"Go, Pete." Myka said in a more than annoyed voice. She knew she was being harsh but her emotions had gotten the best of her.

Pete threw his hands in the air in surrender and left.

Myka looked over at Pete's box and noticed a pile of books carelessly tossed aside. Reaching over for the books, Myka smiled when she noticed the bent corners of some of the books. Finding her way to the corner of the bed, she opened the books and remembered the long arguments and conversations she and Helena had shared in their down time.

Myka loved Helena's take on the stories and characters. Her eye for details was impeccable and she often alerted Myka to the little clues along the way that the agent had missed in her haste to devour each page. Helena couldn't refuse a good talk about literature and Myka knew it. Sometimes, she would ask Helena questions about a metaphor she long had known the answer to. She loved the pride that spread across the other woman's face when she was able to explain the beauty of the words used.

Myka laid back onto the bed her mind swimming in fond memories of the woman's brilliant smile and cunning wit. She had never met anyone quite like Helena George Wells and she knew she never would.

Myka felt a pressure on her lower back and adjusted to relieve the discomfort. Removing the offending article, Myka's hand brushed against soft leather jacket. She wrapped her fingers around the material and held it to her face. Helena’s perfume was long gone from the jacket. Sitting up slightly to glimpse at the boxes, Myka noticed that this was the only piece of clothing they had come across.

"What's so special about you?", Myka whispered to the jacket.

Myka fell back onto the bed running though the last couple of outfits she had seen the other woman in. It had been a while and it was hard to tell which brown jacket was which to be honest. Scrunching her brow, Myka thought harder, she held the fabric to her nose once again and tried to remember Helena’s soft scent and the hint of apples that seemed to follow her. A grin spread across her lips.

"Yuu ow see wif hm, don yu?" Pete's food-filled mouth ruined the moment.

"Yes, I know she’s still with him. I'm painfully aware. Helena is very happy with her life with Nate and I'm trying to be happy for them." Myka recited painfully as she sat up and folded the jacket in her lap.

"That's sweet, Myka, but that's not what I said." Pete corrected her as he leaned against the desk across from her.

Myka puffed her cheeks up in embarrassment and bowed her head; she was in no place to jab at Pete's horrible manners when she had been caught fawning over a jacket like a teenage girl.

"I said, 'You know she left him, don't you?'" Pete said looking straight the almost pouting woman.

Myka's head shot up and her eyes searched for a sign of jest in Pete's face. "She…" Myka began but the words were too hard to fathom.

"Left him." Pete said taking a large bite out off the sandwich he had made for Myka.

The words hit her like a brick, she could feel her jaw drop but she felt frozen in place.

"Okay so not that’s a no." Pete replied noticing his partners' complete shock at his words, "Mykes… Earth to Myka, paging Myka Bering. Do you read?" Pete called as he waved the partially eaten sandwich in front of her face.

"I uh… Yeah, yeah I read… at a higher reading level than you ever will." Myka replied as she snapped back into the reality, "So she left him, as in 'left-left' him. Okay. How do you know this?" she asked attempting to piece it all together.

"She told me this morning, I wanted to let Nate know that she was ok." Pete offered as he gestured around him to the Bed & Breakfast.

"Oh." Myka said as her lips pursed and her eyes fell to the jacket in her lap.

Pete took another bite of Myka's sandwiched and grinned; he could already see the wheels turning in the woman's head.

“That means she available, Mykes.”

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"Sykes is dead, Evil Artie is gone… I think!" Claudia's eyes squinted and he slowly reached for her Farnsworth.

"We've seen the last of him, Ms. Donovan." The cold voice was all too familiar to the team.

"Mrs. Frederick!" Steve announced as he nearly jumped out of his skin by her close and unannounced proximity.

"This is unlike anything the Warehouse has ever seen. The regents are greatly concerned for Agent Wells' safety but this has become a much larger issue. At this rate, the fire will burn through the quarantine in the next hour. At that time, it will be unstoppable. The artifact must be located and diffused or the Warehouse will be lost." Mrs. Frederick explained.

Artie, Claudia, Helena, and Steve all looked at each other in sheer panic.

"Is there anyway to buy us some time with some super secretive Regent artifiact? " Claudia asked.

Her question, however, remained unanswered when her eyes failed to find Mrs. Frederick amongst them. "Seriously!" She yelled.

"You heard Mrs. Frederick” Artie began “our efforts have to go toward finding what's causing the fires. I'll call Pete and Myka and see if they have found any clues."

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"Nothing here, Artie." Myka said craning her neck to see his face on the Farnsworth, "We've gone through the boxes but nothing is sparking. Is it possible she has something on her?"

"No, no. Vanessa checked her this morning and she's wearing your clothes." Artie responded, "We think this may be linked back to the astrolade. A new fire has erupted and is being contained in quarantine, the same location as when Syke's bomb destroyed the warehouse." His voice for once was clueless.

"You think someone is trying to undo it all…" Myka said determined to solve the puzzle, "They are trying to get rid of Helena and Mrs. Frederick again. But why?!”

“Well there is the possibility that the Warehouse is protecting itself from the fire by confining it to the safest area but that…” Artie tried to look for other explanations but was soon cut off by a frantic Pete.

“Wait so Mrs. F is also a target?! How the hell are we supposed to know if an attempt has been made on her life…we can’t even find her if we wanted to…” Pete added as he scratched his head.

“Mrs. Frederick is highly protected by the Regents. There is no way to get your hands on her unless she wants you to…but H.G. was a sitting duck!” Claudia noted once again taking the Farnsworth out of Artie’s hand.

“Which could mean that getting Helena back to the Warehouse was all just apart of their plan to…” Claudia rambled as she began to put the pieces together.

“…kill two birds with one stone.” Helena somberly concluded.

“That is NOT going to happen, Helena.” Myka corrected her. Myka was done losing Helena. She was not going to see it happen again.

“Artie, is there a way to see if the Regents are aware of a coinciding attack on Mrs. Frederick? Perhaps we can cross-compare the efforts and compile a shorter list of suspects to work with?” Jinks asked off camera.

Just then the Farnsworth feed was interrupted by an incoming call.

“I have been sent my the Regents to inform you that the case at hand has been identified as a contained attack on the life of Agent Wells and must be pursued in a independent manner.” Mrs. Frederick announced.

The feed disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the agents to all look at one another in shock and confusion. 

“Well that’s new…” Pete declared.

“Hold up… did that… did she… has she been…” Jinks stumbled as he attempted to wrap his head around the disturbing message “She must know something we don’t. The Regents must be keeping something from us. Something or someone that is targeting H.G.”

“Are we going to have to go back to the ‘enemies list’ because I may have lost that one already…” Pete sheepishly confessed. “No offense H.G. but why her? Why this one person?” What’s so special about a 147 year old time traveler/author/warehouse agent?.... you know… never mind, I think I got it.”

“If Mrs. Frederick and the Regents are correct, this has nothing to do with the Astrolade. Until we have reason to question their judgment call, we must think of something else.” Artie reasoned with the panicking team.

“Helena, I need you to think. Think about before you were bronzed. What were you working on? Who were you working with? Would anyone have reason to hunt you down today?” Myka directed the silent woman on the other end of the call.

“I…. I don’t know… after… after Christina…I put all my efforts into my time machine. I hardly left my home let alone collected an arch-nemesis or two.” Helena retorted as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair. 

“Well time travel certainly isn’t anything to scoff about H.G. there are millions of people out there who wish they could go back and change it all. Do you know how powerful time travel could be in the wrong hands?!” Steve jumped back into the conversation.

“I do actually…” Helena replied thoughtfully looking over to Artie.

“We all do in fact.” Artie reminded them.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Claudia yelled, "Artifacts are made! Artifacts can be created when a great or powerful deed has been done! I saw it once before!"

Claudia had nearly jumped Artie and was now shoving her face into the screen.

“Perhaps all this messing with time has created an artifact?” Jinks added hesitantly.

"You mean you think this is a new artifact?" Pete asked taking the Farnsworth from Myka, "How are we supposed to find a new artifact?! That could be anything! A digital alarm clock, a shoe lace, the sandwich I just ate!!!"

"If Claudia is right, the artifact would have to be something we have come into contact with." Artie clarified “Seeing as how Helena’s belonging have been accounted for and the Regents have neutralized the Wells home since the last incident…

"Seriously?" Myka asked as she snatched the Farnsworth back, "What do you mean IF Claudia is right?" Myka asked confused.

"I know the theory not the practice. Mrs. Frederick only passes down knowledge that is specific to your purpose." Artie explained.

"What he's trying to say is that I know something he doesn't!" Claudia boasted, she wouldn't be able to say that again for a while.

"Way to go, Claudia!" Pete yelled, "How the student becomes the teacher! Teach us your ways, oh wise grasshopper!"

Artie was not happy about the turn of power but he handed the Farnsworth to the younger woman.

"Mrs. Frederick took me to a jewelry store that was about to be robbed. I was drawn to a woman and I watched as she took a bullet to save a baby's life. When I ran to check to see if she was ok, her bracelet shimmered, like a warehouse-esque shimmer. It had become an artifact!" Claudia excitedly explained.

"Ok so it's something we came into contact but we need to narrow this down.” Myka concluded.

"It's the meeting of a person, an object, and a moment." Claudia mumbled to herself remembering what Mrs. Frederick had said, "It's not just anything any time! It's a person, an object, and a moment!" Claudia repeated loudly.

"Well obviously the person is H.G. " Jinks said trying to be as helpful as possible, "but what about the other two?"

"The moment is what's going to help us figure this out." Claudia said, "What could have created an artifact?"

“The woman in the jewelry store saved a life but we have lives everyday, Claud, I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.” Pete noted as he thought some more.

“Artie, you said Helena’s things were off the table so does that mean…so it can’t be the time machine or anything pre-bronzing…right?” Myka asked attempting to put the pieces together. They were close, she could feel it. 

"You haven't been running around Wisconsin solving puzzles and saving the day have you, H.G.?" Pete asked jokingly.

"We'll uhhh… we'll get back to you." Artie said before closing the Farnsworth.

As the screen went black Myka looked as pissed as ever at Pete.

"What it was a joke..." Pete offered as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Not funny, Pete."

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"Helena, I have to tell them. It's the only thing that makes sense." Artie said waving his hands helplessly.

When Helena became curious of Artie's use of time travel, he confessed to using the astrolade and explained her sacrifice that was made on the team's behalf. Realizing how vulnerable the team had made her, Helena swore Artie to secrecy. The less they knew, the easier it would be for her to leave them and to keep everyone safe.

"Arthur… You don’t mean….alright. As much as I’d like to keep our little secret. The growing flames give me pause. It seems it's about that time." Helena said with a nod.

Artie opened the Farnsworth once more and waited for Pete or Myka to answer.

"Sykes had hid the bomb in his wheelchair but it took much longer to find. We scrambled to diffuse bomb but nothing could break the case. Pete you even tried using a blowtorch but the case was impenetrable." Artie began to explain, "Helena had wondered off, I noticed she was messing with the electrical box but I thought she had come to a dead end just  as we had. Instead, she found an anomaly in the circuit that allowed her to reroute part of the barrier to the spot where Pete, Myka, and I were standing."

"But that would have meant…" Myka began to see where this was going.

"She sacrificed herself. Helena knew that the barrier had to be activated from outside and she…" Artie's voice trailed off at the memory of the explosion and the disappearance of H.G.'s face in a storm of fire.

"You saved us." Pete said shocked as he looked to a silent H.G. Wells on the screen.

Helena and Myka hadn't said a word, since Artie had begun the re-telling both seemed to be lost in a world of contemplation.

"Helena…" Myka began unsure of what to say after all the having doubted Helena so much.

"It's quite alright, Myka. I'd do it all again. Well, I assume I would…if I remembered doing it in the first place." Helena said conjuring up a smile.

"Well hopefully you won't have to H.G." Artie said interrupting the sentimental moment.

"So we have the moment!" Claudia decided, "H.G. were you touching anything when…when you.. when the bomb went off?"

"I don't know, I don't have memories of it just what Artie has said. Artie?" Helena asked feeling less that useful.

"No nothing she just stood there." Artie explained.

"So you had to be wearing it like the bracelet!" Claudia said, "It had to be something on you! Oh no, no, no, no.. " Claudia had begun to make progress when the fire burst from the quarantine tent and was quickly approaching them.

"H.G., have to run!" Jinks yelled leaping in front of her while throwing her his Farnsworth, "RUN!".

Helena took off sprinting down the aisle. The fire was slowed by Steve, Claudia, and Artie who had joined arms to create a blockade against the fire, it didn’t want them it wanted her. The flames quickly surpassed them and began to crawl down corresponding aisles chasing Helena through the warehouse.

"Claudia, is she ok?" Myka asked once the team had regrouped.

"She's alright for now, I'm tracking Steve's Farnsworth through the warehouse. She's surprisingly quick for her age." Claudia joked and then realized the seriousness of the situation.

“She’s not going to be able to keep up that speed for long. The lung damage she’s accumulated is sure to catch up with her soon.” Artie offered.

"It had to be something she was wearing. Her sacrifice had to have turn something she was wearing into an artifact!" Claudia explained.

Pete and Myka looked at each other and around the room. Their eyes simultaneously landed on the leather jacket on the bed.

"Got it!" they yelled in unison.

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The fire was just a few meters behind Helena and her lungs were struggling to keep up. She could hear the fire ripping through the warehouse behind her. She wasn’t going to make it and she would end up taking the entire Warehouse with her.

This was unacceptable.

Running out of options, Helena flung open the Farnsworth mid sprint.

"Myka, I don't think I can run from this any longer." she gasped between haggard breaths, "I need you to hear what I have to say. You must know that I…"

"WE FOUND IT! Pete, bag! Bag the jacket!" Myka yelled overtop Helena’s breathy confession.

Pete dove towards the bed, grabbed the leather jacket, and shoved it into a neutralizing bag.

Instantly the fire around Helena dissipated. Her legs carried her further down the aisle before collapsing on her completely. Leaving the inertia of her body to carry her forward and then across the floor.

She was now wheezing as her lungs failed to fill. Her head had hit the solid ground much too hard for her liking. The yells and screams of Claudia and Jinks rang through the silence, as their footsteps grew closer.

The very last words Helena heard before closing her eyes were from Myka's lips, "You don’t have to run anymore. It's going to be alright, Helena. We've got you.”


	11. Anywhere

"She IS going to be all right though…" Myka confirmed after hearing Vanessa’s explanation of Helena's damage lungs and exhausted body.

"Yes, I would say so. She needs lots of rest for now and no unnecessary stress. She'll need to stay under supervision at the B&B until she has made a full recovery. Abigail should be able to see after her." Vanessa said patting Myka on the shoulder as she and Artie began to leave the room.

"Vanessa, Artie… I think I should stay with her." Myka's eyes traveled up the stairs where the broken woman laid unconscious, "Abigail could use some more time in the warehouse and getting Helena to rest is going to be more of a challenge than I think you realize." Myka smirked and looked back to the two.

"I was hoping you'd say that, I have a little project for Abigail." Artie said tapping his doctor's bag.

"Wonderful. Just give me a call if you need anything." Vanessa added as she left.

Myka and Artie share a knowing look before he began to back away from the

"Working on a little project seems like great way to rest!" Claudia said anxiously as she rounded the corner and was about to head upstairs will her Farnsworth in two separate pieces.

"Claude, why don't you give H.G. a moment before you overwhelm her with which ringtone to choose." Jinks said grabbing Claudia's elbow and dragging her away from the overprotective glare she had obviously not noticed coming from Myka’s furrowed brow and stern set face.

Jinks offered Myka a caring smile and guided the younger girl out of the room and back to the warehouse.

_All right. Now to… go check on Helena. We can do this. Up the stairs. Anytime now. Like right now._

_Or now._

_For Christ’s sake. Go upstairs._

Myka grabbed her laptop off the table, took a deep breath, and headed up towards Helena's room.

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Myka quietly turned the doorknob and stepped inside the small room; Helena was sleeping soundly in her old bed. The room was dark but Vanessa had set up some monitors beside her that blinked from time to time adding some light. The oxygen mask seemed surreal, Myka  had always thought of Helena as being an unstoppable force but now she seemed to have found her immovable object.

Myka slowly moved to the desk, picked up the chair, and moved it beside of the bed. Looking down at the docile woman once more, she sat down and placed the computer on her lap. The room felt tense but the growing and dissipating fog in Helena's oxygen mask was comforting to Myka; it was a sign that all was well or atleast that all would be well.

Myka took a deep breath and opened her laptop, the bright screen hurt her eyes and her fingers raced for the dimmer button. As the light faded she looked back up to Helena to be certain that she hadn't been disturbed her. There was no reaction just the rise and fall of her chest.

Myka looked down at her computer and began to type. Writing seemed like the only way to process all that had happened in the short amount of time. At first she began with a feeling and after that she could not halt the expulsion of so much more. She had so many questions, so many incomplete thoughts, and enough fears to fill 1,000 pages. Her fingers flew over the keys, stopping only to relieve the growing pressure in her joints and perhaps a glimpse or two over to the silent enigma beside of her. Silent. Beautiful. Enigma.

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Helena woke to the sounds of fingers rapping against a keyboard; she waited for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight escaping the closed blinds. Her eyelids felt heavy and her body reacted slowly to her orders. She laid there collecting her senses as the typing sound continued next to her. Finally Helena's eyes began to focus and she recognized the room and it's familiar walls.

Turning her head Helena worked her eyes to focus once again. Just beyond the glow of the screen was a glasses-wearing Myka Bering. The features of her face were exaggerated by the surrounding shadows and her furrowed brow was impossible to miss. The wild curls were brushed back into modest ponytail, which draped around her neck and fell onto a worn plaid shirt.

"I was once told of this aesthetics of yours …don't tell me you're retiring again." Helena joked as she pulled the mask from her face. Her voice was raspy but growing in strength with each word.

The unexpected voice jolted Myka from her place of thought and her eyes searched for its origin.

Helena laughed at the worried face her interruption had caused.

"Settle darling, I'm not dead yet. Although, I could do with a glass of water if you have some to spare."

Myka leapt from her chair to the desk where a pitcher of water and small glass sat waiting. Her hands shook slightly as she poured the water into the small cup, missing only a little bit when she looked up to see Helena’s adoring face awake and smirking.

Myka sat the pitcher down and offered Helena the glass the waiting woman. As Helena reached for the glass she purposely brushed her fingers against Myka’s hand, causing her to startle just slightly.

"Helena..." the name left Myka’s lips like a question and an answer all in one.

Myka retracted her hand quickly but then slowed as she realized how silly it was to pull away now after wanting to be near her for so long and finally having the chance.

Instead of returning to her seat, Myka sat beside on the side of the bed near Helena’s legs. She thought to place a hand on Helena’s knee but thought better of it. Even if Myka could finally be with Helena there was the chance that Helena wasn’t ready for another commitment so soon.

"You've been asleep for nearly two days now. I should call Vanessa and let her know you're awake." Myka's eyes turned to the phone on the desk but were brought back to the bed when she felt the squeeze of her hand.

"Why don't you give us a moment before they start poking and prodding me again, Myka." Helena said with a kind smile, her hand still grasping Myka's.

"Alright." Myka replied uncertain of what to say next but holding Helena’s hand nonetheless.

"Are you a writer now?" Helena asked looking down at the discarded laptop.

"Far from it… I'm just. It's sort of a… spy, romance… with sort of a sci-fi bend. Wow, that sounds just as bad as it did in my head. How are you feeling?" Myka rambled embarrassed by how pathetic it sounded.

"I'm feeling much better , thank you, but I'd much rather hear about this romance you're writing." Helena said with a naughty grin.

"It's really nothing, Helena…just a way to pass the time when it's too dark to read. You know, everyone really does want to see you! Claudia's excited to have your input on her Farnsworth development and Pete hasn't stopped talking about you teaching him Kenpo." Myka offered attempting to pull her hand away.

After all this time and she still freezes when it’s her time to shine. Myka would kick herself if she didn’t think she could fail to do that too.

Helena held tight onto her hand.

"You know." Helena said as she shifted in bed to look Myka straight in the eyes.

"Helena, you really should rest." Myka ordered as her eyes darted anywhere that wasn't where Helena was.

"You know that I am no longer with Nate." Helena accused as she let go of Myka’s hand and crossed her arms.

There was a small moment where both refused to speak. Helena demanded an answer and Myka felt backed into a corner.

Recognizing the stubborn look on Helena’s face, Myka folded.

"Pete mentioned it. Yes." Myka countered crossing her arms as well.

"And now you don’t want to be alone with me." Helena quickly retorted lifting her chin into the air.

"Helena that's not it.. it's just… well first off, why didn't you tell me?" Myka asked defensively.

"If you recall, you were quite cold with me at the hotel."

“Yes, well I remembering you being quite hot.” Myka retorted quickly.

_Shit_

“I mean because of the fire. I saved you from the fire and still you did not tell me.” She corrected even quicker

"Myka, you are rightfully upset with me." Helena offered, "I don't blame you, Myka. If anything I’m surprised you are speaking to me now."

"Of course I am. I almost…we almost lost you again. Helena I was horrible before. I treated you..." Myka's face was flushed.

"Darling, it's quite alright now. However, it is a bit drafty would you mind…" Helena began to ask but Myka had already jumped up from the bed to grab another blanket.

As Myka was about to throw the quilt across the other woman's legs, her wrist was grabbed

"…joining me." Helena finished as she moved to the side of the bed.

Helena had clearly caught Myka’s slip up and to be quite honest she longed to be near Myka once more.

"Oh…okay." Myka responded as she discarded the quilt and awkwardly slid her body under the covers. Myka sat up straight in the bed and rested her back against the headboard, "Is this alright?"

"Days spent in a sleep-induced coma leaves a person wanting for human contact." Helena explained as she boldly nuzzled into Myka's side.

"Oh.. it’s the coma… I see how it is." Myka nodded with a smirk.

“Yes dearest, a comma… is a great excuse to use.”  Helena relented with coy smile.

The two woman sat in the bed enjoying the closeness of the other for quite some time.

"It's true what they say about the unconscious..." Helena offered, "you can hear the people around you."

Myka turned her head to face Helena, "and what did you hear?" she asked curiously.

"Pete and Agent Jinks are quite the gossips, you know." Helena admitted.

Myka laughed, although the boys swore that they girls were like hens they themselves were much worse, "And what exactly have you learned from their whispers? "

"I hear that you’ve met a woman on your travels…" Helena jested.

"I’ve met many women on our…OH. That… well that was really just…uhhh… it was a swingers neighborhood and she and I… I'm not making it sound any better, am I?" Myka admitted after stumbling to find the right words.

"Not in the least, darling, but who am I to judge? Swingers as you call them sound like quite lively individuals." Helena said with a playful nudge. "I'm glad you found someone to keep you company." She added, "There's no use in loneliness."

“No I suppose not. Helena, it wasn’t serious.” Myka swore.

“It would be alright if it were. I have no claim to you. Not after what I’ve done.” Helena relented.

“Perhaps not. If there is no use in loneliness, as you say, then why did you keep this from me?” Myka asked as she pointed to the faded band of skin on Helena’s ring finger.

“I’m sorry to say I was afraid. You were so cross with me. I thought you had moved on, found someone else perhaps. I didn’t want to cause any more problems than I already had.” Helena confessed as she ran her fingertips over the pale skin.

“Helena, for such a visionary…you really are blind.” Myka replied as she leaned into Helena.

She could feel Helena’s breath on her cheek.

Myka waited for Helena to move… and she did.

Helena tipped her head forward towards Myka, their breath mingling.

"So good to see you're awake, Ms. Wells." Vanessa announced as she entered the room, "I'm sorry to interrupt but you have quite the line of people waiting to see you and I was not aware that you had woken up." Vanessa said loudly.

The two woman jumped apart and Myka nearly fell off the bed in her efforts. After struggling to find balance on the edge of the mattress, Myka quickly straightened her shirt and combed her fingers through her hair.

"That would be my fault, doctor, I wanted a moment to feel like a human before I was treated as a pin cushion." Helena admitted noticing Myka’s panic.

"No needles needed just need to check your vitals. Myka would you mind stepping out?" Vanessa asked as she moved toward the bed.

"I'd like her to stay, if you wouldn't mind." Helena confessed reaching her hand to Myka's leg.

Myka looked down at the contact and a smiled.

"If that's what you wish!" Vanessa said as she began to untie the gown and held the stethoscope to the woman's bare back.

Noticing how had Myka looked away as the gown slipped down her shoulder, Helena laughed and patted the woman's leg softy.

"All is well, my darling."

"All is well, indeed!" Vanessa said concluding her check up, "You seem to be healing quite nicely, Helena. I'm happy to say you can get out of bed when you feel like it… under close supervision of course." Vanessa resolved looking directly at Myka.

"I won't let her out of my sight." Myka assured the doctor.

"I doubt think that will be necessary, Agent Bering." Helena retorted as the door shut behind Vanessa.

Myka’s head shot back to Helena. She could see a change in her mood. Had Helena decided to leave once again? Would Myka have to watcher her go once more?

"I'm quite comfortable where I am." She said pulling Myka back to her side but hissed when a sharp pain shot through her arm.

"Are you ok?" Myka asked sitting up in alarm.

"I'm fine. Still not used to being all bandaged up." Helena said as she raised her bandaged arm for observation.

Myka frowned at the visible sign of Helena's injuries. She reached her left hand out and lightly grasped Helena's wrist.

"You're not the only one." Myka sighed as she guided Helena's arm to lie across her own stomach.

Helena smiled at the other woman's brave move and adjusted her body accordingly. Myka has certainly changed since her last days at the warehouse.

They laid there in blissful silence.

Helena breathed deeply, taking in the familiar scent of the other woman's shampoo. Helena had tried nearly every brand, searching for Myka's scent, but none came close to the real thing. She squeezed the woman's torso lightly before melting into her.

Helena's arms were petite but strong. Myka remembered being held in her arms once before but at the end of a grappling hook. Even with all the danger that involved, this was far more exciting.

Helena was the first to break the silence, "Are you ever going to tell me about the torrid romance you are writing?" she asked with a smirk, "You know I have written a few things myself. I could help you if you'd have me."

"Nice try, Helena. Were YOU ever going to tell me about your sacrifice" Myka replied in an accusatory voice.

"Oh, that. I suppose I didn't see much good in sharing it but now I find myself willing for a trade." Helena joked as she nuzzled her nose against Myka’s arm.

"Perhaps if they offer is high enough. Why did you do it? Why not find a way to save yourself as well?" Myka asked turning her head to look Helena in the eyes.

"I don't know if I can answer that. I don't remember it. All I have are dreams of that day and if they are any indication of how I felt, it was the only thing to do." Helena rationalized.

"In my dreams I realize that there's no way to stop the bomb and so I resolve to protect who I can. Myka, I've done so many things that caused pain and suffering to others. Saving you all seemed like the last good thing I could do to try and make up for my own selfishness." Helena's voice was soft but filled with conviction.

"Promise me that you're done." Myka demanded.

"I will never hurt another innocent soul…" Helena began.

"No. I want your word that I don't have to worry about losing you because of some random act of redemption. I'm done with it. You need to be too." Myka said sitting up straight in the bed.

"I've had to say goodbye to you far too many times already and I won't do it again." Myka's voice could be misinterpreted as anger if Helen didn’t know any better.

"H.G., Vanessa tells me that you're awake!" Artie says as he comes barreling into Helena's room.

As soon as his eyes fall upon the women cuddling in bed his face flushed red and he raised his medical bag up to hide it.

"I'm so sorry! I should have knocked! I thought you'd be… well I thought… I uh…."

Myka and Helena laughed and separated from each other's hold.

"Artie, did you need something?" Myka asked growing tired of these interruptions.

"I came to see how long we could expect you for; the regents are concerned." Artie said lowering the bag from his face and making purposeful eye contact with Helena.

"You're not leaving already are you?" Pete suddenly popped his head in the doorway, "You just got here!"

"Woah, woah, woah! You can't leave yet!" Claudia demanded as she joined the two men.

Footsteps could be heard coming up the steps and the group turned to see who else would be coming…

Jinks came to a full stop in front of the door when he noticed five sets of eyes staring him down.

"Scone?" he asked holding out a small plate.

Pete, Claudia, and Artie all turned their attention back to Helena in anticipation of an answer but she turned to face Myka instead, "I'm not going anywhere."


	12. Unhealthy Obsession

“Helena have you seen my…” Myka had spent the better part of the day searching for her reading glasses. Her contacts had been giving her a headache and since she had just been staying to take care of Helena, she saw no need to get a new prescription. As she rounded the corner into the study she caught the inventor anxiously stuffing Myka’s computer behind a pillow on the couch.

“AH HA! I knew it Helena George Wells, you sneak!” Myka declared as flopped down on the beside of Helena.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Myka Ophelia Bering. And I certainly have no idea why you insist on password protecting certain files on a certain computer I also know nothing about.” Helena huffed as she crossed her arms.

“Helena… how many times have I told you that the story is nothing but play and it is none. Of. Your. Concern.” Myka replied as she poked Helena’s crossed arms to accent each word.

“Then I don’t know why you won’t share it with me! I’m a published author for Christ’s sake! Some would even say one of the greatest, you know…” Helena argued refusing to abandon her sulking but giving in to a moment for gloating.

“…and a grand inventor as well and yet you can’t hack a simple password.” Myka noted as she scooted closer to Helena and the hidden computer.

Helena eyed the agent and slipped her hand beneath the pillow and offered the computer back to Myka. “I’m not really THAT interested anyway…”

“Oh really? So didn’t steal my glasses and haven’t been hiding them on your head as I search floorboard to ceiling rafter?” Myka asked as she pulled her glasses from Helena’s hair.

Helena’s jet black hair fell down and flawlessly into place at this. Myka for a moment forget to be angry, forget to be annoyed at Helena’s stubbornness and was instead wrapped up in her beauty once more.

“Certainly not…” Helena huffed once more.

“You’re awfully adorably frustrated for someone who isn’t that interested.” Myka commented as she tucked a curl behind her ear.

“Adorable?”

“Awfully.” Myka replied with a smile.

“You make me sound like a child.”

“You are acting like one.” Myka noted as she closer to Helena once more.

Helena pouted and pursed her lips, she would not admit defeat, she was a grown woman with understandable interests in the absurdly mysterious doings of another grown adult.

“147, I’ll have you know. A woman of that age deserves some decency from her captors.” Helena spouted reminded her.

“148 soon and I am not your captor. You are staying of your own will.” Myka reminded her as she lightly booped Helena’s nose.

Helena couldn’t help but laugh. She was acting like a child. She was absurdly old and she was just as nosey as the day they had bronzed her. Time does not change all things.

“Alright, Alright. I’m staying on my own accord but you should be merciful and at least give me something to go off of. A few words from your top secret writings.”       

“Adorable…stubborn…mischievous…. gorgeous…. attractive…” Myka trailed off as she leaned her forehead against Helena’s.

Helena’s breath had hitched at the intimate contact and she seemed to be struggling to respond.

“These are just some of the words I use to describe you … and so very few do you justice…” Myka surged forward claimed Helena’s lips.

Myka cupped Helena’s strong jaw as she drew out the passionate and somewhat fierce kiss.

It took only a moment for Helena to respond, to realize what had happened and to happily contribute.

Helena’s hands traced Myka’s sides, squeezing and scratching as the kiss grew hotter and controlling of their bodies.

No longer happy with their current arrangement, Myka moved to straddle Helena’s lap, never losing contact with those perfect lips, never allowing her hands to move from that luminous skin.

Helena met each passionate kiss with eager reply. She had long waited to for this. Perhaps not like this but this nonetheless. To have the beautiful, smart, and strong agent feel for her the way Helena had harbored since the first few days they had met.

A small itch or a scratch began to climb Helena’s throat. Since the fires she had become quite prone to coughing fits that not only made breathing difficult but talking or kissing impossible. Myka held Helena to a strict physical therapy schedule but the coughing was inescapable.

Helena pulled away from Myka’s needy grasp with an apologetic look, she turned her head and was thrown into a coughing storm that shook her entire body and Myka’s in response.

Myka moved to unmount and fetch Helena a glass of water to soothe her throat but as she began to move away from Helena, Myka felt a strong hand grasp her thigh. Myka looked up to see Helena’s eyes motioning to the glass of water she had set beside of the couch. It would appear as though she would not need to move at all.

Offering the glass of water to a now settling Helena, Myka couldn’t help but laugh at their positions.

“I believe you have a rather unhealthy obsession with me.” Myka prodded as Helena took another gulp from the glass, nearly choking on it as Myka chose her comedic timing perfectly.

Swallowing the cool water down the best she could Helena lowered the glass and retorted, “Unhealthy being the key there, darling.”

Helena offered the glass back to Myka and she disposed of it appropriately.

“Although… to say that I am obsessed and you are not would seem preposterous. How many of my books would you say you own?” Helena asked as she moved her hands to Myka’s waist to hold her in place.

“That’s not fair. I loved your words long before I lov…” Myka’s words came to a pause as she realized what message was to follow.

Surprised by this almost confession, Helena’s playful grin sank into a most serious, watchful eye.

Myka’s face began to blush, she had said too much and couldn’t turn back now.

Reading her body language for what it was, Helena raised a hand to Myka’s neck and pulled her closer to her. Helena softly ran her bottom lip across Myka’s, toying with the younger agent but also offering a safe place to hide from her embarrassment.

Myka could feel it, she was about to be pulled into another gravity-defying, mind-blowing kiss but before she would let it take her…

“I despised you.”

“What?!” Helena nearly squawked.

Myka couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t meant for it to come out like that but the horror on Helena’s face was too much.

“I despised you when I met you. You were so confident and cocky and had me pinned to a ceiling in minutes.” Myka offered.

“I would rather pin you to other things now…” Helena confessed as she played with a lock of Myka’s hair.

Myka unconsciously bit her lip. It would be all too easy to take Helena up on that offer but she was a woman on a mission.

“and then as soon as I thought I understood you… as soon as I thought we were getting somewhere…I lost you.” Myka took Helena’s hands in her own.

Helena was growing nervous at the direction this little speech was taking.

“I won’t lose you again…” Myka continued

“Myka, darling, I’ve already told you that I’m not going anywhere…” Helena interrupted as she held onto Myka’s hands as if to stay afloat.

“…not without you knowing how much I love you.” Myka conceded.

Helena looked surprised and confused all in the same.

“Helena, our work… there’s no promise that we’ll make it to the end of the week let alone the end of the day. It’s dangerous and I don’t want to go another second without you knowing how my heart stops every time you walk into the room or how I stay up at night thinking about how  amazing you are.”

At that Helena scoffed but her eyelids were beginning harbor tears.

“I love you Helena Wells and I need you to know that. Now more than ever.” Myka finished.

Helena slid her hands from Myka’s and ran her finger tips up the agent’s arms.

“Helena if you don’t…”

Helena pressed her lips softly against Myka’s before the woman could say another word.

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

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"And you did all your exercises this time?" Myka asked as she began to unpack her bag.

Helena had greeted her at the door with a cup of tea on her return from bagging a ping. It had been nearly two weeks since she had been home.

"Of course, darling. I'm not a child, remember." Helena said with a smile as she held out the teacup to the other woman.

Myka took the small cup and rolled her eyes; she took a small sip of the way too hot tea and placed and addressed Helena as she set the cup down on her desk to cool.

"You're lying…"

Helena stopped what she was doing and huffed, “Gone two weeks and you’re already questioning my character… is that anyway to show a person that you have missed them?” Helena flirted, hoping to distract the tired agent.

"My tea is always sweeter when you didn't do all of your physical therapy. You hate how much sugar I put in my tea." Myka accuse, refusing to fall prey to Helena’s seductive ways…for now.

"Perhaps I've given up on changing your American ways...perhaps I’ve found a taste for sweeter things…" Helena offered still trying her best to distract than discuss.

After a moment of silence Helena caved, "They are lungs, they are meant to breathe. I'm breathing aren't I? I'm not gasping for breath or wheezing as I climb the stairs. Really, Myka I think I'll be just fine now." Helena pointed out.

Myka refused to respond and simply went about unpacking her belongings.

"Oh and I've got two perfectly looking arms now!" Helena gloated as she held her unbandaged arms out in front of her.

"Helena, shouldn't their be scarring?" Myka asked looking at the beautiful, fair-skinned arms in front of her.

"I told Claudia you'd notice. We may have experimented with an artifact or two…" Helena offered with a guilty smile.

"Artie won't be happy to know you've been using artifacts for person gain. "Myka replied sternly while running her finger tips over the flawless arms before her.

"He will be happy to see your look of torture has disappeared with my scars." Helena pointed out.

Myka hated the reminder the fire had left. Finding no argument on her behalf, Myka changed the conversation.

"How much progress did you and Claudia make on the Farnsworth?" Myka asked knowingly. If she hadn't been doing her physical therapy it meant that she was too busy working with Claudia on updating the communicators.

"It's in color now!" Helena said proudly.

"I'm not sure what good that will do but…perhaps progress for progress’s sake isn’t aht bad. " Myka said unenthusiastically throwing a stack of clothes into a hamper. She was obviously still worried about Helena’s health above all.

"The better to see those green eyes, my dear." Helena jested as she pulled Myka’s turned back closer to her.

“I missed you.” Helena admitted as she wrapped her arms around Myka’s midsection.

“I missed you too... You arm looks beautiful… and the Farnsworth being in color well…I’m sure we will find good use for that…” Myka teased as she traced small circles on Helena’s warm hands that covered her stomach.

“You don’t say…” Helena responded as she slowly moved her hands up Myka’s torso.

“Mmmmmm…Helena…” Myka moaned a the contact.

"CIRCLE THE WAGONS!" Artie yelled from downstairs, "WE HAVE A PING!"

Myka’s body sagged with disappointment.

“Bloody hell..” Helena sighed as she grapped Myka’s wrist and dragged her out of the room.

The team was huddled in the living room. Artie was standing in the middle of the room with his doctor's bag in hand; two spots were left open on the couch.

Although Helena wasn't allowed in the field just yet, she was an excellent resource to have at their disposal.

“So nice of you two to join us.” Artie snarked. “Now as I was saying….”

Artie went about explaining to the team how a gondola in Venice had been transporting its patrons to and from the Renaissance era.

"A gondola ride to the 15th century, how romantic." Helena noted as she placed a hand on Myka's thigh.

Having not quite cooled down from their upstairs intimacy, Myka jumped up from the couch to survey a map Artie had removed from his bag.

"I see so that's where we need to be." Myka said nervously biting her thumbnail as she glanced at Helena sporting a knowing look.

"Exactly!" Artie exclaimed as he handed Pete and Myka plane tickets, "Pack your bags and be on your way."

Myka less than enthusiastically took the ticket from Artie but he did not let go.

“I would not ask if it was not important. I know you’d rather see to other matters.” Artie explained as his eyes motioned to from Myka to Helena.

Myka nodded and and headed upstairs to gather her belongings.

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Pete and Myka were packing the car when Helena stepped outside to wish them luck.

"If I remember correctly, Venetian women are more than lovely." Helena said to Pete with a wink.

"Heck, I'll settle for lovely." Pete said as he closed the trunk and headed to the driver's side.

Myka had heard the comment and had scoffed at the two as she walked to passenger side of the car.

"Not nearly as lovely as some however." Helena offered as she stepped towards Myka, their hands grazing they both reach for the door handle.

“And yet you still remember them.” Myka combatted as she climbed into the seat.

Helena simply smiled and bit her bottom lip. There were some parts of monogamy she was still not used to.

"Alright, best of luck” Helena contended as she shut Myka’s door and leaned into the window. “I could join you of course. I haven't been to Italy in quite some time…" Helena began but was cut off by Myka's glare, "Alright, messaged received loud and clear." Helena said as she soluted the two agents.

Myka laughed at the action and smiled, “Be good.”

“Until you return…” Helena flirted with a wink.

With that Myka rolled up the window and the two were on their way.

"Are we going to talk about that?" Pete asked.

"No."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter!!! Thank you all so much for the kudos and the love! I'm dedicating the last chapter to the readers! Comment with some of the things you want to see most and I'll see what I can do! -ohmyposh


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